Unrest shakes PoJK | Media Scan

[00:00:00]to come to General Katoch, first of all, sir.

[00:00:03]Very clearly, two things that came out from what Dr. Mirza has explained to us, that this round of protest is not likely to die down just because the army has unleashed a rain of terror and there are dead bodies lying on the streets of Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Mirpur, etc. How do you look at it, sir?

[00:00:24]>> Uh, thank you, speaker.

[00:00:25]I think the situation this time, as Dr. Mirza has stated, is is very serious.

[00:00:30]>> Mhm.

[00:00:31]>> Uh, I say so specifically for just one reason, and that is because the way the killings have taken place uh by the Rangers and by the Pakistan army.

[00:00:41]Now, generally, if the if the army has to open fire on unarmed civilian crowds, they will be very, very cautious. But, I think this time they have let caution to the wind.

[00:00:51]>> Mhm.

[00:00:51]>> And that has not gone down well with the public, which which was already disenchanted. So, a combination of these two factors uh is going to have a very serious impact on the ground situation.

[00:01:02]There is one more point which uh which I would like to state, you know, besides this killing.

[00:01:08]There is no attempt being made politically to resolve the basic issues which have cropped up, you see.

[00:01:15]>> Mhm.

[00:01:15]>> Uh you stated very correctly that it started because of rising prices and you know, those uh uh butter, you know, uh bread and butter issues.

[00:01:24]But, the political issue was the most important one, you know, which keeps surfacing and has been surfacing off and on. And that is the 12 seats which um uh you know, which are reserved uh for the refugees.

[00:01:39]And the refugees there, out of the total 55 seats, uh 12 are reserved for these refugees.

[00:01:44]>> Yes.

[00:01:45]>> And they come from all parts of Pakistan and none of them are refugees.

[00:01:48]>> Mhm.

[00:01:49]>> And these people want those 12 seats also to be from the local people. This is one. Number two, you know, you have a chap who's a prime minister, of Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.

[00:01:59]Now, he's a Prime Minister only in name.

[00:02:01]Even when he goes to Islamabad, uh there is a very junior officer uh whom he sits with. Uh there is no way he can even meet an officer uh of the secretary level.

[00:02:12]So, he has got absolutely no say in the affairs of the state, neither does his cabinet. The rulings certainly all the rulings uh with respect to uh uh Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, it comes only from Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

[00:02:28]>> Yes.

[00:02:28]>> So, you know, those issues are really burning into the people. And now with the bread and butter issue also coming up, you know, things have become very, very expensive.

[00:02:37]And uh I think there's another factor which I would just like to mention here.

[00:02:41]They're also seeing what is happening on the Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir, you see.

[00:02:46]>> Right.

[00:02:46]>> And the prosperity which has taken place here. And when you see the prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir and you see the desperation which is there in the place like Muzaffarabad and Mirpur, uh the the contrast is very stark. So, all that I think is coming out uh with the people and they will continue to protest.

[00:03:05]>> Sweetheart.

[00:03:05]>> Sir, there is there is one question I do have in mind and it comes out of what Dr. Mirza was telling us. While it is true, as you said, that the army has, you know, thrown all caution to the wind and they're really behaving recklessly with unarmed innocent protesters, but at the same time, it is also said that the army is also sort of trapped in the territory, you know? And there are there are videos and comments emanating from PoJK uh saying that the army would actually like to just run away. They are not ready to uh stick there now seeing the reaction of the the population.

[00:03:40]>> Uh I think, you know, in my view, uh in uh Mirpur-Muzaffarabad, I don't think that situation is there. That situation is really there in Gilgit-Baltistan.

[00:03:48]>> Right.

[00:03:48]>> So, when we're looking at the at the northern areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, there are certain areas because they are much more isolated. Muzaffarabad is they are they are they are relatively open areas. And I don't see any of the Pakistan Army people getting trapped there.

[00:04:03]Um that in in my view that appears unlikely, but Pakistan certainly.