Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (ANI file photo)
NEW DELHI: As unrest intensified in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the region’s ongoing elections, former Indian envoy to Ukraine Vidya Bhushan Soni said the protests reflected growing frustration among people over Pakistan’s failure to address its economic and domestic challenges. His remarks came after Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif called people in PoK as “enemies like India”.
Because they believed the country had reached a difficult position, soni said several groups opposed to the Pakistani government, including Baloch groups and people in PoK, were now putting pressure on Islamabad. And so that’s why they are coming out on the street; they are showing their frustration, they’re showing their anger, they’re showing their patience is running thin,” he said. Because its priorities remained focused on international issues, warning that the unrest was unlikely to end anytime soon, Soni alleged that Pakistan could respond by using force against its own people. Because they have seen that their case is not being heard; they are totally ignored, “The worrisome factor right now is POK.
Pakistan was more focused on projecting itself internationally as a peaceful nation than solving the problems of its own people, according to him. “You have to do something about the people, their own people, rather than trying to go and solve the world’s problem; first you solve your own problem back home,” Soni said. “It has consequences; it will not stop because Pakistan’s priority still continues to be international, and they will try to come down heavily through the use of force on their own people,” he said. Calling the situation in PoK particularly worrying, Soni said many residents felt their grievances were being ignored, which had deepened their frustration. So I feel that it’s a frustration of their failure,” he said.
He added that Pakistan should first address the concerns of its own citizens instead of trying to play a larger role on the global stage.
Because the country had expected to benefit by projecting itself as a mediator in international affairs and hoped that would help it secure economic assistance, speaking to news agency ANI, Soni said frustration was growing in Pakistan. Because they thought that they were playing the mediator role and they thought things would be fine and they would be once again back into business in terms of getting some economic aid, etc.
That’s not happening,” he said. “I think again there is a frustration creeping in, in Pakistan.