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Pakistan Occupied Kashmir Protests and Regional Elections

Source:The Hindu ↗

આ શા માટે મહત્વનું છે

The political and socio-economic instability in PoK, paired with massive civil protests, has direct geopolitical implications for India's foreign policy and border security. It provides diplomatic leverage for India to raise concerns about human rights abuses in occupied territories at global forums while reinforcing India's constitutional and historical claim over the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir.

સારાંશ

Tensions have escalated in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) amid regional elections as clashes continue between security forces and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which is protesting economic exploitation and political manipulation by the Pakistani establishment. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly condemned the electoral process as a 'sham' to camouflage illegal occupation, reiterating that the entire region of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is an inalienable part of India.

મુખ્ય મુદ્દા

  • Widespread violent clashes have erupted in the Rawalkot region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) between security forces and members of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
  • JAAC activists are protesting during regional elections, alleging that the Pakistani establishment (the military and federal government) is manipulating critical legislative seats to install a puppet Prime Minister in PoK.
  • Protesters highlight severe grievances, including economic exploitation, rising inflation, administrative oppression, and the denial of fundamental human rights by Pakistani authorities.
  • According to JAAC, the security crackdown has resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people, including women and children. The Pakistani government has denied these civilian casualties, labeled the protesters as 'enemies of the state,' and alleged infiltration by the militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
  • India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly reacted to the developments, asserting that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (including PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan) are integral and inalienable parts of India.
  • MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the ongoing elections are a 'sham' designed to camouflage Pakistan's illegal occupation, adding that the civil unrest is a direct consequence of Pakistan's systemic economic exploitation and human rights violations in the region.

મહત્વપૂર્ણ શબ્દો

Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC)

A collective of activist groups in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) leading mass protests against the Pakistani establishment's economic exploitation, electoral manipulation, and denial of fundamental rights.

UPSC context

GS Paper II: India and its neighborhood-relations; tests understanding of regional conflicts, stability, and geopolitical developments in PoK.

Source
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

The government agency responsible for conducting India's foreign relations, implementing foreign policy, and representing the nation's interests in international forums and bilateral matters.

UPSC context

GS Paper II: India’s foreign policy, bilateral relations, and representation of territorial sovereignty and strategic interests.

Amnesty International

A global, independent non-governmental organization focused on human rights, campaigning to prevent and end abuses of human rights across the world.

UPSC context

GS Paper II: Important International institutions, agencies, and fora — their structure, mandate, and role in global human rights advocacy.

Source
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

An independent, democratic, and non-partisan non-governmental organization established in 1987, committed to monitoring, protecting, and promoting human rights in Pakistan.

UPSC context

GS Paper II: India and its neighborhood relations; tests awareness of civil society movements and internal human rights dynamics in neighboring nations.

Source
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

An alliance of Sunni Islamist militant groups founded in 2007 along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, aiming to overthrow the Pakistani government and establish a strict Islamic state.

UPSC context

GS Paper III: Security challenges and their management in border areas, cross-border terrorism, and regional security dynamics affecting India's interests.

Source

પ્રિલિમ્સ ટ્રેપ

The Instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1947 included a legal provision making accession conditional upon a future plebiscite.

The Instrument of Accession was legally unconditional and complete. The reference to a plebiscite was a political commitment in a separate cover letter, not a legal condition within the Instrument.

સંલગ્ન સ્થિર ખ્યાલો

Polity and Governance

What is the significance of the 1994 Parliament Resolution on J&K?

  • Unanimous declaration: Adopted by both Houses on February 22, 1994, declaring J&K an integral part of India.
  • Vacation of PoK: Demanded that Pakistan must vacate all areas of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.
Polity and Governance

How does J&K Reorganisation Act manage PoK representation in the Assembly?

  • Reserved seats: Permanently reserves 24 seats out of 114 for PoK, keeping them vacant and excluded from the active strength of 90.
  • LG nomination: Empowers the Lieutenant Governor to nominate one representative for displaced persons from PoJK under the 2023 Amendment.
  • Quorum rules: Excludes the 24 vacant seats when calculating the total strength of the house for voting and quorum purposes.

આંતર-વિષય પેટર્ન

  • PoK unrest + CPEC sovereignty

    Civil protests against economic marginalization in PoK bolster India's sovereignty objections to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects traversing Gilgit-Baltistan.

  • Hydropower + Indus Waters Treaty

    Local resentment over PoK's high electricity tariffs despite hosting major rivers links directly to India's push for renegotiating the Indus Waters Treaty.

Constitutional status of PoK seats and LG's nomination powers under J&K Reorganisation Acts highly likely to be tested in Prelims 2026.

સંલગ્ન PYQ · 4

સંલગ્ન PYQ · 4

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