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Pakistan's occupation of Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan has led to widespread human rights abuses, including repression, demographic manipulation, and economic exploitation. Despite international silence, local activists and diaspora groups urge accountability and recognition of the region's plight.
New Delhi: Since 1947, Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan have endured a grim reality marked by systematic repression, demographic manipulation, economic exploitation, and pervasive human rights violations. Despite Islamabad's rhetoric about supporting Kashmiri rights internationally, its record in these occupied territories tells a vastly different story.
Political activists in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan have consistently faced severe repression. Enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and violent crackdowns against peaceful demonstrations are routine.
In August 2023, widespread protests erupted following the detention of Shabir Mayar, who had advocated opening the Kargil-Skardu road to reunite separated families. Hasnain Ramal's current status remains unclear, underscoring the secretive nature of enforced disappearances.
That year alone, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) documented extensive abuses, including brutal suppression of protests. A pattern that has only seen an upward trajectory.
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Activists and ordinary citizens demonstrating against inflation, unemployment, and basic governance failures were frequently arrested under draconian public order laws. Restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly are strictly enforced, silencing dissent and marginalising voices critical of Islamabad.
Pakistan abolished protective laws such as the State Subject Rule in Gilgit-Baltistan, enabling a systematic influx of settlers, primarily Punjabis and Pashtuns, altering the region's demographic composition dramatically.
The Shia population, historically dominant, has drastically declined from 80% to 39%, according to recent reports.
Data reveals that large tracts of land in Gilgit and Skardu have been systematically allocated to non-native settlers, exacerbating local resentment and cultural erosion.
Economic exploitation further deepens grievances. Rich natural resources, including minerals, forests, and rivers, are aggressively extracted to benefit Pakistan's mainland economy, leaving locals impoverished.
Islamabad earns substantial revenue from Gilgit-Baltistan's trade, transit, mineral exploration, and hydropower projects, but this wealth rarely benefits local communities.
The Diamer-Bhasha Dam, a flagship project, illustrates this exploitation starkly. Scheduled to displace approximately 80,000 people and submerge around 110 kilometres of the Karakoram Highway, it raises severe environmental and seismic concerns due to its placement in an earthquake-prone zone.
Sectarian violence, notably against Shia and Ismailia minorities, remains a grave concern.
Sunni extremist groups from mainland Pakistan frequently target minority communities with implicit state tolerance or support, creating persistent fear and instability. The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) and the Human Rights Commission detail ongoing discrimination and systematic violence against these minorities, eroding their security and rights.
The suppression enormously extends into media freedom. Journalists attempting to report these abuses regularly face threats, physical attacks, and censorship.
HRCP reported that at least nine journalists faced attacks and harassment in Gilgit-Baltistan in 2023 alone.
Pakistan's intelligence agencies routinely intimidate and pressure media outlets to prevent critical coverage, fostering an environment of fear and silence. Women in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan endure additional layers of vulnerability.
Laws against child marriage and domestic violence remain poorly enforced, and incidents of gender-based violence, including "honour killings," persist.
HRCP documented 16 such cases in 2023 alone. Women who speak out or advocate for rights often face cyber harassment and social stigma, severely restricting their freedom and safety. Despite these profound abuses, international awareness remains minimal.
Pakistan's strategic narratives on Kashmir historically focused global attention exclusively on the Indian-administered region, leaving PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan mainly invisible to international scrutiny.
Local activists and diaspora groups consistently highlight this neglect, urging organisations like the UN Human Rights Council to hold Pakistan accountable.
In Geneva, in March 2024, activists staged significant protests demanding Pakistan's withdrawal from these territories, calling on the international community to recognise the gravity of Pakistan's occupation. Yet, international responses remain muted, enabling Pakistan to perpetuate its policies of repression and exploitation unchecked.
The continued silence and international neglect only embolden Islamabad to tighten its oppressive grip further.
Until global institutions confront Pakistan's systematic repression and exploitation in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, these territories will tragically remain occupied, exploited, and forgotten.
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