People in Muzzafarabad of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) took to the streets protesting against the Pakistan establishment and WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority of Pakistan), which at the behest of repressive bosses in Islamabad has been giving a novercal treatment to the people of the region by forcing them to live in dark by discriminating power supply.
Residents of PoK burnt effigies, raised anti-Pakistan and anti-WAPDA slogans seeking an immediate action into the mistreatment, humiliation and biased treatment of the people of the region go through on daily basis.
Locals also issued an ultimatum to all political parties saying their appeasement politics won't work this time and they were firm to get their demands met.
A protester in Muzaffarabad said, "We don't have anything to do with the elections of Pakistan. Whether Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) contests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, or it is Muslim-League or People's Party. We don't have anything to do with anyone. State's resources, water, and lands belong to us. These people have to contest elections in Pakistan; they are seeking Pakistani votes by giving them more power which actually belongs to our region. We categorically denounce this, and I apprise both government and the administration that any lollipop is not going to work this time."
Islamabad snatched away the lands of locals at the pretext of the development and prosperity in the region. However, not an iota of the dividends reaped out of such projects has been shared with the locals.
In more than seven decades of misrule, the socio-economic standards of the people of this region have only worsened.
"Pakistan, which is flourishing at the cost of these dams must not stay in a state of delusion and think that only pastorals are living in this region. If we are tolerating this much because there some reasons behind it because of which we are helpless," a protester said.
Not giving the rightful share to the people of the region, who gave away their land resources to a deceitful state which meets most of its electric energy requirements from the region, exposes the true face of Pakistan.
There is a Prime Minister and President in PoK but they are merely stooges who have been helping Islamabad fill its treasuries through economic depredations.
The people of the region have been denied basic fundamental rights and are meted out with severe brutalities if they demand it. However, the increasingly growing rebellion against the establishment this time has certainly pushed Islamabad on back foot and has forced them to take concrete action for their demands.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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