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PoK activist raises concerns over worsening conditions

Talking about the economic condition of the country, the political leader said that” nothing can be said about the country’s economic condition with surety….reports Asian Lite News

An exiled political activist from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has shown his anger and resentment at the degrading economic and political situation in Pakistan and its occupied territories of PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

In an interaction with Mirza Shafiq Aleem, a citizen journalist, the Chairman of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, raised concerns over the atrocities and torture committed against the people who dare to stand against the Pakistani regime.

While explaining the situation Kashmiri narrated an incident when security forces used force against the peaceful protestors. He said, “There has never been a rule of law in Pakistan. Sometime back, the members of UKPNP were joined by several Baloch women who protested against the atrocities inflicted upon them by the Pakistani regime. At that time, the police forcefully snatched away their blankets amid peak harsh winters, and anyone who tried to help the protestors was stopped and threatened. All this was not happening on the outskirts of Balochistan. It took place in the middle of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and the whole world was watching silently.”

Recalling his own case of torture at the hands of Pakistan’s administration, Kashmiri said, ” I myself have suffered through these atrocities, and I know about the hardships that the family of any abductee has to go through. Every day for them is very difficult. It is quite possible that abductions of people by the authorities may happen in other countries too, but the level at which this happens in Pakistan is a different story. And till the time these heinous acts are not stopped, expecting justice, peace, and democracy in Pakistan is not sensible”.

Talking about the economic condition of the country, the political leader said that” nothing can be said about the country’s economic condition with surety. Pakistan is surviving because of financial help from the World Bank. And if just one tranche of this bailout package gets late, the country’s economic condition gets worse than it already is in Pakistan.”.

“On the other side, there is also an elite class in Pakistan that has every luxury imaginable at their disposal. These elite classes keep getting richer by the day, and the provinces that have no production capacity and contribute nothing to the GDP of the country get the majority of the bailout packages received from the World Bank. The common man becomes even poorer and is not able to afford even the most basic of necessities, like most essential medicines. In such conditions, hoping for a miracle that will improve the condition overnight is not possible” according to the political activist. (ANI)

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India Strongly Protests UK Envoy’s PoK Visit

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott visited Mirpur city in the PoK region along with an official of the UK Foreign Office.

Terming the visit by the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, Jane Marriott, to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as “highly objectionable”, India has registered a ‘strong protest’ with the British High Commissioner in India.

This comes after British envoy Jane Marriott visited Mirpur city in the PoK region along with an official of the UK Foreign Office.

“India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on 10 January 2024,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

“Such infringement of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable,” it added.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this ‘infringement’.

The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been and shall always remain an integral part of India,” MEA added.

In October last year, the US envoy to Pakistan, Donald Blome, visited the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region.

New Delhi conveyed to Washington its ‘strong objection’ to the visit and urged the international community to respect its “sovereignty and territorial integrity”. (ANI)

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Rights Activist Arif Aajikia Sounds Alarm on Heritage Erosion in PoK

Arif Aajikia highlighted the alarming situation in PoK, emphasising the lack of progress and prosperity compared to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir…reports Asian Lite News


Arif Aajikia, a former member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and a human rights activist based in Karachi, Pakistan, highlighted the critical issues in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He specifically discussed the deterioration of human rights in the region, emphasizing the decline in cultural, linguistic, and heritage elements.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Aajikia said, “The biggest thing in human rights is your culture, your food, your dress, your language, your heritage, which is being killed in PoK.”

He also highlighted the alarming situation in PoK, emphasising the lack of progress and prosperity compared to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. According to him, the disparity becomes evident through social media, where people in PoK witness the advancements and well-being in Jammu and Kashmir, questioning why their region lags behind.

“People in PoK, when they see the progress and prosperity in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, they start thinking that we are also the same people; we were also once part of Kashmir. Why is there no progress or prosperity in PoK? Why is there no prosperity in Gilgit Baltistan?” the rights activist said.

A vehicle drives past campaign flags of different political parties ahead of the legislative assembly elections in the city of Gilgit, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan, November 9, 2020. Picture taken November 9, 2020. REUTERS/Umer Farooq – RC2A2K91T5S4

Despite providing electricity to Punjab province in Pakistan, residents of PoK face prolonged load shedding, receiving some of the most expensive electricity rates despite being the producers. “People of PoK, they provide electricity to Punjab province of Pakistan. Yet they have 16 hours and 12 hours of load shedding. Most expensive electricity is provided to people of PoK while they are the producer of the electricity,” he noted.

Aajikia also pointed out the paradox of supplying water to the entire country (Pak) while PoK’s women endure hardships fetching water.

Aajikia compared the demographic changes, noting the preservation of Kashmiri identity in Srinagar in contrast to Muzzafarabad, where Punjabi influence dominates.

“If you go to Srinagar, you will find people wearing Kashmiri dresses, eating Kashmiri food, and speaking Kashmiri. If you go to Muzzafarabad, you will see that 90 per cent of people are speaking Punjabi, 90 per cent of people do not wear Kashmiri dresses,” he said, noting the destruction of culture in PoK.

Aajikia also raised concerns about the lack of educational institutions, including universities, colleges, dental colleges, and medical colleges; inadequate infrastructure such as roads and highways; and the absence of employment opportunities in PoK. Protests across the region reflect the discontent among the populace.

Regarding Article 370, Aajikia stated that it is an internal matter of India and that no external interference is warranted. He underscored that the unresolved issue lies in PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, occupied by Pakistan. Aajikia questioned Pakistan’s actions in 1947 when it attacked Kashmir, asserting that those involved were not Mujahids but terrorists, engaging in atrocities against Kashmiri women.

“When Pakistan attacked Kashmir, they were not Mujahids; they were terrorists because they were raping Kashmiri women. Kashmiri women were sold in bazaars in Rawalpindi and Peshawar by Pakistanis,” the activist said.

In his legal perspective, Aajikia emphasised that the only unresolved issues pertain to the lands occupied by Pakistan and China. He highlighted Aksai Chin, occupied by China, as part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, belonging to India.

“The only unresolved issue is the lands occupied by Pakistan and China because Aksai Chin, which is occupied by China is also part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, part of Bharat,” he added.

Shedding light on issues of governance, human rights, and regional disparities, the rights activist also called for international attention to the situation in PoK, which is likely to grow with such perspectives gaining prominence. (ANI)

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PoK Residents Take to Streets Against Oppression

The protesters, including women, lawyers, and activists, expressed their frustration over government discrimination and oppressive policies….reports Asian Lite News

People from all walks of life in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) took to the streets in a region-wide protest against a range of issues they have been grappling with for an extended period.

The protesters, including women, lawyers, and activists, expressed their frustration over government discrimination and oppressive policies. The region has witnessed numerous protests in recent months, with grievances ranging from wheat flour shortages to exorbitant electricity prices.

Faisal Jameel, Leader of Awami Action Committee said, “Initially the protests started in Poonch when people held a sit-in (against the administration) for around four months owing to high prices of wheat flour and after that suddenly the overbilling of electricity started. It further resented the general public leading to massive protests in Muzaffarabad and in the whole of PoK”.

He added, “Awami Action Committee actively participated in the movement and the protests happening today are the outcome of that movement. This movement will continue (against the administration) until our demands are met”.

Working women, who have borne the brunt of these issues, joined the protest. Female lawyers gathered outside the Central Press Club in Muzaffarabad to denounce the injustices faced by POK residents.

In response to the protests, the government has initiated a crackdown, conducting house searches and filing FIRs against those demanding their rights.

The protesters are undeterred, determined to continue their struggle for justice.

A lawyer based in Muzaffarabad said, “What kind of justice is this! When someone asks for his/her rights then they (the administration) register FIRs against them, raid their homes! Trample upon their children! What kind of administration is it! What kind of justice is this! All the administrators should listen to us with their ears wide open! Our protests are for our reasonable rights! Our protests are for our ownership of our resources.

He added, “We have reasonable demands, we should be given wheat flour and electricity at (affordable) cost. We should get our electricity generated out of our resources. Is it a crime to raise our voice for our rights!”

Another lawyer protester said, “You can see that the women of Muzaffarabad have taken to the streets. I think this is the first time that women in such a large number have come out for their rights, for their children’s rights. It is the protest against the violation of women’s houses and arrests made by the police forces. What kind of crime we have committed! Is raising voices for our rights a crime? Is asking for electricity a crime? Is it a crime to ask for wheat flour to feed our children!”

Women protesters also expressed solidarity with those arrested for speaking out against the government’s policies, highlighting the harsh crackdown launched against dissenters.

The people of PoK have long endured discrimination and second-class treatment.

Despite past oppression, they remain resolute in their demands this time, vowing not to back down under any circumstances. (ANI)

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PoK activists hold protest outside Pak consulate in Bradford

The people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have been facing intense problems due to high inflation and exorbitant electricity bills…reports Asian Lite News

Exiled Kashmiris from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) gathered outside Pakistan’s consulate in Bradford city of United Kingdom to demonstrate against Pakistani security forces for violating human rights.

The demonstration was organized by the Jammu Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA) with an aim to raise voices against the crackdown by Pakistani security forces on protesters raising issues of high electricity bills and inflation.

Speaking at the event, Mahmood Kashmiri, the chairman of JKNIA, said, “At present, a movement is ongoing in PoK against repression by Islamabad and it is our duty to support them.”

“Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir produces around 4,000 MW of electricity and our consumption is almost 400 MW and Pakistan is not ready to provide us the required electricity. We our people raise their demand then are labelled as Indian agents,” the JKNIA chairman said.

Speaking about the ongoing economic crisis in Pakistan, he said that the politicians and top military officers are begging from other countries and the money is being used for their own comfort.

“We the people of Jammu and Kashmir are not part of Pakistan. The loans Pakistan has taken from other countries are not our responsibility to repay. If Pakistan has taken loans, it is Pakistan that needs to repay it,” he said.

The people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have been facing intense problems due to high inflation and exorbitant electricity bills.

Massive anti-Pakistan protests are happening in all cities across PoK to raise the demand for freedom. (ANI)

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Kashmiri delegation meets British MP, discusses PoK human rights issues  

The delegates briefed MP Andrew McDonald about the restrictions on freedom of expression, press media, and publications in PoK and Gilgit Baltistan…reports Asian Lite News

A high-level delegation of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) has met with British Labour Member of British Parliament Andrew McDonald at Middlesbrough in the United Kingdom and discussed several pressing issues concerning human rights, lack of basic facilities, land grabbing, occupying tourists resorts, hilltops and lack of infrastructure in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit Baltistan.

The members also highlighted the discriminatory practices that prevent Kashmiris from participating in elections unless they pledge allegiance to Pakistan. The UKPNP delegation that met the British MP McDonald on Monday was led by party’s chairman Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri. The delegation included Central Spokesman Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan, Senior Leader Mahmood Kashmiri, President of UK Europe Zone Sardar Amjad Yousaf, Secretary General United Kingdom Zone Raja Sarfraz,  Secretary of Information Sardar Tikka Khan Tahir, Rizwan Siddique, Usman Khan and others.

The delegates briefed MP Andrew McDonald about the restrictions on freedom of expression, press media, and publications in PoK and Gilgit Baltistan. They also expressed concern over the resurgence of extremist and radical groups recruiting youth for jihadi activities, leading to the forced disappearance of 22 young boys by a banned outfit, which has prompted protests from their parents and loved ones seeking their recovery, as per an official release.

The delegation shed light on the plight of PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, which are administered by Pakistan and suffer from deprivation and underdevelopment. Protests have been ongoing against shortages of flour, wheat, essential food items, inflation, electricity, and hefty charges in electricity bills.

The UKPNP members also highlighted the exploitation of natural resources, denial of royalty, lack of industry and job opportunities, and the persecution of human rights activists and pro-Kashmir, pro-people, and pro-peace activists, who are often forced to leave their native places and seek refuge abroad.

According to the release, the meeting served as an opportunity for the UKPNP delegation to advocate for the rights and well-being of the people in the region and draw attention to the urgent need for international support and attention to these critical issues.

The concerns raised by Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri regarding the environment and land grabbing in PoK, as well as the impact of CPEC and other mega projects on climate and weather, are serious issues that require urgent attention. It’s crucial for the international community to come together to address these challenges and protect the lives, wildlife, and environment in the region. Collaboration and action are essential to safeguard the affected areas and mitigate the devastating effects of such activities, according to the official release.

The Labor Member Parliament Andrew McDonald assured the delegates that the people of PoK, Gilgit Baltistan should be entitled to live their lives with peace and harmony, emphasizing that without the rule of law, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement, the region cannot achieve lasting peace and stability, as per the release.

Sardar Shaukat and the delegates thanked the British member of parliament for giving the time and this opportunity to share their views. (ANI)

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Hijab mandatory for students, teachers in PoK

The circular warned of strict action would be taken against the head of the institution if they fail to implement the directions issued by the authorities…reports Sanjeev Sharma

Hijab has been made mandatory for women students and teachers at co-education academic institutions of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), as per reports.

A notification to this effect was issued on the instructions of PoK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.

It will be mandatory for women students and teachers to wear hijab in co-educational institutions, as per the notification, Samaa TV reported.

According to the notification, action will be taken against the head of the institution over violation of the orders, Samaa TV reported.

Strict action would be taken against the head of the institution if they fail to implement the directions issued by the authorities, warned the circular, Geo News reported.

However, it is not clarified in the circular what action would be taken against those female students and teachers who do not wear hijab.

While giving the reason behind the circular, the education department’s officers said that it is observed that heads of the institutions are not implementing the dress code issued by the authorities earlier, Geo News reported.

The education officers, however, could not provide the details about the dress code issued earlier.

The officers termed the circular “inner matter” of the office, adding that it is issued to ensure discipline in educational institutions.

Education Minister Dewan Ali Khan Chughtai claimed that the notification is issued in line with “Our religion and moral values of our society”, Geo News reported.

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Protests erupt in PoK demanding apology from Shehbaz

The demonstrators demanded an apology from Shehbaz Sharif for his behavior against their Prime Minister while torching tires and blocking roadways….reports Asian Lite News

Scores of people took to the streets of Muzaffarabad city in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), chanting slogans against the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for insulting their Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.

The demonstrators demanded an apology from Shehbaz Sharif for his behavior against their Prime Minister while torching tires and blocking roadways. Earlier, in what could be referred to as an unprecedented incident and a blatant violation of government protocols, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was caught on camera insulting PoK PM Tanveer Ilyas when he tried to correct him during his speech.

Shehbaz Sharif was in PoK to inaugurate the operationalisation of two more phases of the Mangla Dam on the Jhelum river in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

One of the protestors said, “What Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shezbaz Sharif did to our Prime Minister is unacceptable. We have made immense contributions to the development of Pakistan. Our Prime Minister was prevented from speaking at the event. We shall punish the people of Kashmir in this manner because we partitioned our own country to build Pakistan.”

“Pakistan Prime Minister Shezbaz Sharif owes an apology to our Prime Minister and the people of Kashmir. If this is not done, we will block the region and protest on the roads,” the protestor added.

People in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have already staged a number of protests earlier as well, in support of their rights, but the authorities have ignored each and every one of them.

According to PoK Activist based in the United Kingdom, Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza, thousands of villages were drowned to make room for the Mangla dam.

“The Mangla dam victims, the families who were displaced, the Mangla dam affected, and their sacrifices were all forgotten by Pakistan’s Prime Minister,” he said.

“When the Prime Minister of the occupied Jammu and Kashmir raised this question of why the Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif has failed to address Kashmir and thank Kashmir and the people of Kashmir who have given their most fertile land of this region for this dam, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, instead of talking to him or replying to his query instructed his guards to be rude to the Prime Minister of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and they were very rude with him. So, I think its time the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling class also realise that there is no room for negotiation. The only way for PoJK is to wrest independence from Pakistan,” the PoK Activist added. (ANI)

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PoK on warpath over neglect

Youths are blocking roads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over Islamabad’s policies to sideline them.   PoK’s four million residents have never been allowed to speak a word and address their political and socio-economic grievances. Its high unemployment rate, poor infrastructure, and lack of resources force its citizens to migrate to large cities of Pakistan where they are only allowed menial jobs as labourers, cleaners at hotels, drivers, etc. Through the nation, they are treated as outsiders, second-class citizens, or maybe not humans at all looking at the present scenario. … a special report by Dr Sakariya Kareem

The story of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a tragic tale of conscious neglect, political suppression, denial of freedom of speech and liberty, calculated demographic changes, violence, illegal detentions, electoral rigging, and all that falls under the category of colonialism. Pakistan is unable even to provide the bare minimum necessary to keep people alive in its colonized state. Does one wonder if Pakistan’s aim to capture ‘Azad’ Kashmir 75 years ago was indeed for their genuine concern for Kashmiris or was it a means to an end?

PoK’s four million residents have never been allowed to speak a word and address their political and socio-economic grievances. Its high unemployment rate, poor infrastructure, and lack of resources force its citizens to migrate to large cities of Pakistan where they are only allowed menial jobs as labourers, cleaners at hotels, drivers, etc. Through the nation, they are treated as outsiders, second-class citizens, or maybe not humans at all looking at the present scenario.

PakistanPrime Minister & Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif

At the beginning of this fiscal year, India’s Finance Minister presented a US$13.33 billion budget for the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. New Delhi allocates nearly five times more funds to J&K than Islamabad allocates for PoK.

At the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, UKPNP (United Kashmir People’s National Party) chairman and human rights activist Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri held a demonstration at the ‘Broken Chair’ monument to condemn Pakistan’s forcible occupation of Kashmir and serious human rights violations in PoK. He said: “Pakistan has no locus-standi on its occupied Kashmir. It has illegally occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Back home, Pakistan is fighting tooth and nail to put an end to rallies in Muzaffarabad (PoK) through threats and torture, nothing out of the ordinary. It has given a free hand to Pakistan Army in the region to mellow down the angry mobs through ‘whatever ways necessary’.

Since July 1, women and children have been sitting on roads for days in PoK, shouting slogans of freedom and demanding Army to return to Barracks. Many people have been arrested; and what are their crimes? Wanting basic facilities such as water, social opportunities, education institutions, and healthcare. Underdevelopment and disenfranchisement have taken people to the streets!

The Planning and Development Department of PoK reports that 50 per cent of the total population of the region has no access to piped water; 78 per cent of the total households have no tap water connections. And on the other hand, the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam is a ticking bomb for PoK, which can swipe all lives in the area. The electricity produced in PoK relieves the heat in Punjab, while people of the region face load shedding of 18 to 20 hours. The water of rivers is diverted for hydropower projects built by Chinese companies.

For three years in a row, there is a severe shortage of food grains leading to starvation. Ex-servicemen have not seen a single paisa in the name of pension, and government employees have not received salaries in a year.

Since July 2 the locals of Gilgit-Baltistan have staged a sit-in blocking the Karakoram Highway in Nasirabad, Hunza, to protest against the minerals department for permitting mining leases to an outsider company. There are rumours that Pakistan may cede Gilgit-Baltistan to China on lease to pay off its growing debt. They will do anything to appease China – their puppet masters. Chairman of Karakoram National Movement, Mumtaz Nagri, expressed her fear but told people to stand their ground and “not to be scared of Pakistan’s spy agency and be prepared to go to jail”. The people at large recently expressed a desire to merge with India.

All those who oppose the government in PoK are labelled as traitors or agents, and then put through a series of torture, humiliation, or even worse – jail. Since its inception, Islamabad has exploited the land, resources, and people of PoK indiscriminately. Pakistan’s ISI works with fundamentalist mullahs in designing and implementing the extremist version of Islam, forming a public opinion to incite Jihad in J&K UT.

There is a palpable fear of the Pakistani military, the ISI, and terror outfits acting independently or as government representatives. Terrorist training camps in PoK have the latest modern weapons and communication gadgets, awarded to them by the Pakistani Army.

The PoK Interim Constitution (13th Amendment) Act, 2018 states, “No person or political party in ‘Azad’ Jammu and Kashmir shall be permitted to propagate against or take part in activities prejudicial or detrimental to the ideology of the state’s accession to Pakistan.”

Now what more evidence do the International Peace bodies need to deduce Pakistan’s ambitions with its colony?

For the Punjabi Taliban network, an extension of Punjabi-origin Taliban, PoK is the epicentre of their cross-border terrorist activities and drug racket. The annual drug trade in Afghanistan (more than US$33 billion) is used to fund the Taliban.

In the past few years when a proxy war was orchestrated in the name of Kashmir Jihad, heroin ran through the veins of the public like a river. The educated PoK youth that once stood up against the Pakistani government are now heroin victims. There is a conspiracy to paralyze the youth and slowly eliminate the resistance.

One must be so shameless to talk about ‘Kashmir Solidarity with Indian UT of J&K when people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan live lesser than animals.

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PLA in PoK, surveys villages and military posts

The report also had stated that these and other infrastructure development efforts along the India-China border have been a source of consternation in the Indian government and media…reports Asian Lite News.

Chinese People Liberation Army personnel are carrying out a survey of the border posts and villages in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to strengthen the Pakistan military apparatus across Line of Control, said sources, adding Indian security forces are keeping an eye on the activities and motives behind the survey.

Source said that around four dozen Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers arrived in general area Kel, Jura and Leepa sectors of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir a month ago. Indian armed forces say that these areas — Kel, Jura and Leepa — are among those from where Pakistan pushes terrorists into Indian territory.

Source said that the over 40 People’s Liberation Army soldiers came to these regions, divided themselves into groups of five or six each, visited a number of villages and conducted surveys of villages, Pakistan Army posts and “infiltration routes used by terrorists to reach the Kashmir Valley”.
The groups were accompanied by Pakistan Army personnel, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officers, and interpreters. Source said that the visit of Chinese troops in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir villages indicates the making of model villages — which can be used both by civilians and military — in these regions.

“Are Chinese helping Pakistan in building model villages along the Line of Control as they have done across borders with India,” questioned a senior government officer over Chinese PLA men visiting these regions.
Last week, the US Department of Defense in its annual report to Congress on military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had flagged that China has built a large 100-home civilian village inside disputed territory between the Tibet Autonomous Region and India’s Arunachal Pradesh.

The report also had stated that these and other infrastructure development efforts along the India-China border have been a source of consternation in the Indian government and media. About the US report, a senior security official, however, stated the said village being referred to has been under Chinese control since 1959.

The village has been built by China in an area that was occupied by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) after overrunning an Assam Rifles post in 1959, in an operation known as Longju incident along the frontier in Arunachal Pradesh.

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