Muzaffarabad [PoJK], February 5 (ANI): Pakistan marks February 5 each year as Kashmir Solidarity Day, presenting it as support for Kashmiri rights. PoJK activist Abid Ali Raja, however, denounced the observance as state propaganda intended to obscure Pakistan’s own human rights record in areas it controls.
Raja told a local digital outlet that the day lacks any real historical or political meaning for people in Jammu and Kashmir. “This is a complete fraud. It is a joke with the people of PoJK, with the issues of PoJK,” he said, adding, “There is no significance of this Kashmir Solidarity Day. There is no historical significance.”
He accused PoJK authorities of cracking down on dissent and punishing civilians who protest for essentials. “When people came out for flour, electricity and water, forces were sent against them. They were attacked, shot and people were killed,” Raja alleged, saying those seeking basic rights were branded as enemies. “People were called agents of India just because they were asking for electricity and food,” he claimed.
Raja also alleged restrictions on movement and documentation, claiming residents have had ID cards and passports blocked. He described the February 5 events as a staged spectacle with little genuine public participation: “You can see how many people actually come out on 5th February. This is limited to government offices.”
(ANI)
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