Student organisations across Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) are protesting against the rising inflation and scarcity of basic amenities across the region.
On the call of Awami Action Committee (J&K Joint Public Action Committee), huge number of student organizations have come down to the streets and have started a protest against the Pakistani establishment and occupying government of POJK. During a meeting on October 3, the Awami Action Committee announced a comprehensive plan of action and a charter of demand. In a communique it was announced that under the aegis of Awami action Committee, various protests across the POJK will be held. The first protest was a complete shutdown on October 5 and the other was a women and children protest on October 10. Both the protests were held with immense rigour and turned out to be the biggest and most expansive protest in the past 75 years of illegal occupation of Pakistan.
The student organization’s protest which was decided to be held today has also seen participation from across the region. Despite heavy rains during the protest, students protested in massive strength.
Student organisations protest in Kotli
In Kotli, various student organisations accumulated and raised slogan against the Pakistani establishment and reiterated their demand as mentioned in the Charter of Demands.
In another such protest in Kotli, students raised slogans of “takseem-e-Jammu Kashmir ke khilaf, hum ek hain” (Against the division of Jammu and Kashmir, we are one).
Bagh Protest
Similarly in Bagh, hundreds of protestors agitated over the crucial issues and joined the protest of student organisations. They raised slogans-
“Pami humara-rate tumhara, namanzoor..naamanzoor..” (Water ours, rate yours unacceptable..unacceptable..)
“Dam humare-Kabza tumhara, naamanzoor..naamanzoor..” (Dam our, encroachment yours, unacceptable..unacceptable..)
“Bijli humari, hukum tumhara, naamanzoor..naamanzoor..” (Electricity our, order yours, unacceptable…unacceptable…)
“Mulk hamara, qabza tumhara, naamanzoor..naamanzoor..” (Country ours, occupation yours, unacceptable…unacceptable…)
One of the massive protests has been organized in Tarar Khel. A significant number of protestors took to the streets in support of local student organizations. They carried out a rally sloganeering their demands and hurling condemnation against the occupying regime of POJK.
In Dhar, the protest rally witnessed a teenager at the front cursing the atrocious regime and highlighting the inflation. His voice echoed the situation in POJK that even the flour and sugar are expensive and are hard to buy.
Apart from these protests in POJK, Kashmiris in Islamabad also protested against Pakistan in solidarity with Awami Action Committee. The students rigorously protested for restoration of student union, restoration of free electricity and subsidy on wheat flour, abolition of privileges of the rulers.
It must be noted that, these protests are the testament to the fact that Kashmiris have now become aware that in the past 75 years, Pakistan has only given misery, exploitation, human rights violation, and scarcity while it has taken benefits from POJK’s tourism, electricity, land and other resources. As a result now the Kashmiris stand deprived and watch their future in darkness. The electricity from the Mangla Dam is produced at low cost and transmitted to Pakistan which, further, is sold to Kashmiris at more than quadrupled rate. In the wake of a economic crisis, the wheat flour subsidy that was given to Kashmiris was also terminated. In spite of all this, ruling puppets of Pakistan are living a luxurious life of abundance.
The stark difference between the ruled and the ruler, and that too an occupying one shows that condition of Kashmiris in POJK is fragile and at an all time low. And hence, Awami Action Committee is now posing resistance in an unprecedented way. In turn, Pakistan is now using coercive measures to curb the protests. As per reports, various schools and universities had also issued directions to students to not participate in the protests. However, defying every authoritarian dictates, thousands of students across POJK made the protests successful.