“We want to live carefree”: PoJK leader urges administration to remove security forces

Kharanj Sardar Aman, a local leader in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), highlighted the issue of the deployment of security forces in PoJK.

While addressing a local public gathering in PoJK recently the local leader called upon the administration to revoke all the deployed forces from PoJK, as the general public must not remain caged.

Aman in his statement mentioned, “We are not subjects of a king that need to be surveyed, counted and caged, we don’t appreciate such actions by the government. We just want to live carefree and we just demand that all restrictions from the Paksitani administration be removed. All security forces must be revoked by the administration.”

He added, “We urge the international human rights organizations to intervene. As the regime in PoJK remains powerless. They are just mere puppets in the hands of the Pakistani administration and the Pakistan army. They registered fake FIRs on the activists who were raising the voices of our people of PoJK on the orders of the Pakistani Army. We condemn these actions. They used brutal forces to crush a peaceful demonstration and they suppressed the struggle for our rights, by deploying their forces.”

Notably, the residents of PoJK have been continuously facing oppression and a lack of infrastructural development. Previously, the local residents, including the councillor have lamented the lack of development and facilities in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), which is facing significant socio-economic challenges.

The persistent lack of development and the perceived indifference of successive governments have fostered a sense of alienation and frustration among its residents. Many lament that even basic amenities like safe drinking water are often out of reach.

A local councillor, Jahangir Mughal from the region has underscored the deplorable state of infrastructure, another vital aspect of development. “You are talking about development, but you are aware of the state of drinking water here. Yesterday, I received a call from Tarkhabad, from Raja Tahir, the local councillor there. He said there had been no water in his area for three days. There’s a severe problem, but when they call the authorities, there’s no action. They’re told it will be resolved in a day or two,” he said.

The lack of proper infrastructure not only disrupts daily life but also impedes economic activity, as the transportation of goods and services is severely affected. The local administration’s apparent lack of commitment to addressing these issues exacerbates the hardships faced by the people. “Governments form, they do some work in the initial one or two years, then they focus on lobbying for the next government and preparing for the next election, leaving projects stalled” Jahangir added.