Is the increasing public anger in PoK indicating a major political explosion? Bullets on one side of the LoC and development on the other side, why do the pictures of the two Kashmirs look so different? Is Zojila Tunnel going to change the fate of Ladakh and Kashmir? Is the instability in PoK and the increasing graph of investment in Jammu and Kashmir indicating some major geopolitical change?
Srinagar/Muzaffarabad: The environment on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) is currently revealing two different realities, which have attracted the attention of the entire world. On one hand, in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), innocent people who have come out on the streets for basic rights and food and electricity are being brutally fired upon, while on the other hand, the history of Asia’s largest tunnel is being written by cutting through the Himalayas on the Indian border. The day of Tuesday, June 9, has been recorded in the pages of history as a turning point, which clearly explains the gap between shouting and celebration of progress.
Dead bodies strewn in Rawalakot, internet down… What is Pakistani Army hiding in PoK?
Due to the brutal repression of the Pakistani government, the entire PoK is currently sitting on a heap of gunpowder. Major cities like Rawalakot, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur have been rocked by unrest and gunfire. Pakistani security forces crossed all limits of brutality to stop the ‘Long March’ called by the banned ‘Joint Awami Action Committee’ (JAAC). At least 27 innocent people are reported to have lost their lives so far in this bloody conflict, whereas in government figures this number is said to be only 11. To prevent the truth from coming out, internet services have been completely disrupted in the entire area, hundreds of activists have been put in jail and heavy army is deployed at every nook and corner.
Scroll to load tweet…
Explosion at a height of 11,500 feet! When Kashmir and Ladakh joined hands in the underworld
At the same time, just 100 kilometers to the east from the bloody violence of PoK, Indian engineers and workers created unprecedented history with the cheers of Bharat Mata. In the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the ‘Final Breakthrough’ (meeting of both ends of the tunnel) of the strategically sensitive Zojila Tunnel at an altitude of approximately 11,500 feet was successfully completed. In sub-zero temperatures, when the shovels of miners digging from both sides in Kashmir and Ladakh collided with each other underground, that scene became the biggest witness to the country’s technological sovereignty.
Scroll to load tweet…
The magic of Asia’s longest tunnel: Why is Islamabad in fear?
This is not an ordinary tunnel, but a marvel of engineering which, once commissioned, will become Asia’s longest ‘bi-directional’ single-tube road tunnel. This 13.15 kilometer long magical tunnel will forever end the fear of the deadly snow-covered Zojila Pass, which used to cut off Ladakh from the whole world for six months every winter due to heavy snowfall. This tunnel, which will be fully operational by the year 2028, will not only ensure all-weather connectivity for the general public, but will also give bullet speed to the logistics and military movement of the Indian soldiers deployed on the border. This is the reason why the rulers of Islamabad are completely stunned by this strategic strength of India.
Why is Zojila Tunnel considered a game-changer?
According to experts, this project is not just a tunnel, but a big change from strategic and economic point of view. From this:
- Access to Ladakh will be possible throughout the year.
- There will be a huge reduction in travel time.
- Tourism and trade will get a boost.
- The logistics supply of the army will become easier.
Other projects like Z-Morh Tunnel, Chenab Rail Bridge and Vande Bharat Rail services are also being considered as part of this broader development strategy.
Begging for flour and electricity vs investment of Rs 5,824 crore: difference between the two systems
This difference between PoK and Indian Jammu and Kashmir is not limited to just one tunnel or one protest. This is a story of two different thoughts. On one hand, the people of PoK have been protesting for years against expensive electricity bills, flour shortage, end of subsidies and repression by the Punjab-controlled Pakistani administration. Similar violent movements took place there in the years 2024 and 2025, where slogans of “Azadi” were echoed.
On the other hand, after the abrogation of Article 370 in India’s Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, there has been a storm of development which has changed the fate of the valley. The annual investment which was only Rs 450 crore before 2021, has reached a record Rs 5,824 crore in the year 2025-26. The administration has received grand investment proposals worth more than Rs 1.6 lakh crore.
“Stone pelting became history…” Now the valley echoes with the music of Café and Vande Bharat.
Khalid Baig, co-host of the famous YouTube show ‘India This Week’, who returned after visiting Kashmir, described the ground reality and called it “boring (quiet) Kashmir versus burning PoK”. Stone pelting is now a thing of the past in the valley and no youth has lost his life in the last more than 2,000 days. Today, the sight of ‘Vande Bharat’ train passing through the valleys of Srinagar and Jammu, the filled restaurants-cafes of Gulmarg and the record breaking tourists are proof that the youth here have left the guns and chosen the path of development.
What does the story tell on both sides of the LoC?
The Central Government has also made it clear that this arrangement of the Union Territory is temporary and as per the promise of Home Minister Amit Shah, the status of full state will be handed back to Jammu and Kashmir at the right time. These two pictures of June 9 have made it clear that on one hand PoK, smoldering in the fire of repression, is moving towards destruction, while on the other hand, India’s Kashmir is emerging as a new global model of development in front of the whole world. On one side there are reports of protests, arrests and discontent. On the other side, pictures of the inauguration of road, rail, tunnel and investment projects are visible. This contradiction remains the most discussed topic today regarding both the parts of Kashmir. At present, it is certain that the events of June 9 have once again brought before the world the two different realities existing on both sides of the LoC – restlessness on one side, claims of development on the other. Eyes are fixed on which path the future will take.