Pakistan PML-N has softened its stance on PoK protesters, calling them “patriotic brothers”, as the party prepares to form a government in the region.
In the first two phases of voting, the PML-N has won 25 of the 45 directly elected seats, crossing the majority mark in the so-called legislative assembly.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s led PML-N appears to be softening its position towards protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with a senior government adviser now describing the vast majority of demonstrators as “patriotic” and saying the party will soon engage with them. Just days earlier, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif had likened the protesters to India and described them as “enemies of Pakistan”, ruling out talks with them. Asif had said there would be “no dialogue with the protesters” and that he considered them in the same category as India.
India, however, has rejected Pakistan’s stance on the unrest, saying the protests are a direct consequence of Pakistan’s economic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights and administrative oppression in PoK. The party is in a direct contest with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), its coalition partner in Pakistan’s federal government. The protests have faced a security crackdown, with Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan raising concerns over reports of violence and calling for investigations.