Is separate President-Prime Minister-flag in POK autonomy or political show off? Has Pakistan hatched a conspiracy to hide its control in the name of “Azad Kashmir”? If the real power lies with Islamabad/Rawalpindi, then how real are the local institutions? Do the protests and repression prove that democracy in PoK is only nominal?
PoK Political System Analysis: The recent horrific violence, bloodshed and insurgency led by the ‘Joint Awami Action Committee’ (JAAC) in Pakistan’s Illegally Occupied Kashmir (PoK) has given Islamabad sleepless nights. Amidst this unrest, the world’s attention has turned to a fundamental and mysterious question which was hidden behind the curtains of international diplomacy for decades. The question is that if Pakistan has complete control over PoK, then why does it have a separate President, a separate Prime Minister, its own assembly and a separate flag? Is this really the freedom of Kashmiris or is it a dreadful maze woven in the Military Headquarters (GHQ) of Rawalpindi, whose purpose is only to throw dust in the eyes of the world? Let us unveil the bitter and sensational reality behind this political charade.
That betrayal of August 1947: Why could PoK not become a province?
To understand this suspense, we will have to turn the pages of history and go to the period of August 1947. At the time of partition, when Maharaja Hari Singh legally signed the ‘Instrument of Accession’ with India, the entire Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of India. But the Pakistani army, disguised as Kabali, illegally occupied a part of Kashmir. If Pakistan wanted, it could have declared PoK as its province like Punjab, Sindh or Balochistan, but it did not do so. There was a very thoughtful and clever diplomatic move behind this.
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According to experts and Lieutenant General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain of the Indian Army: “Pakistan feared that if it declared PoK or Gilgit-Baltistan as its legitimate province, its claim to the entire Jammu and Kashmir in international forums would be legally weakened forever.” Therefore, to prove itself to the world and keep the Kashmir dispute alive in the United Nations, Pakistan gave the region a fake name of “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” and disguised it as an independent state.
Drama of autonomy: ‘Ruler’ on paper, ‘Slave’ in reality
On papers and files, a spectacular drama of democracy is seen in PoK. The people there elect their MLAs by voting, there is a Prime Minister who runs the government, and a President who is the constitutional head. It has its own courts, its own bureaucracy and also a separate flag which is flown along with the national flag of Pakistan. But the remote control of this entire system is not in Muzaffarabad (the capital of PoK) but in the hands of the rulers of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
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The bone of contention: Why do separate entities exist in POK?
You can understand the reality of this appearance from these three bitter facts:
- Secrets of Islamabad officers: All the high and administrative posts in the ministries and bureaucracy of PoK, the real powers on them are with the civil and military officers sent on deputation from Pakistan. Local ministers have no authority except to sign the file.
- Whip of ‘Kashmir Council’: Historically, the financial and administrative command of PoK has been in the hands of ‘Kashmir Council’, whose chairman is the Prime Minister of Pakistan himself. That means, not even a leaf can move in PoK without the consent of Islamabad.
- Superficial comparison with Article 370: Many people compare it with India’s former Article 370. But India’s Article 370 was part of the Constitution of a sovereign country, whereas PoK’s 1974 Interim Constitution is just an administrative tool of Pakistan, which it uses to run its puppet government.
Test of ‘ideological loyalty’ and the game of 4 lakh refugees
The biggest and shocking contradiction of this so-called ‘free’ country lies in its electoral process and the oath taken by its leaders. In other provinces of Pakistan (like Punjab or KPK) no ‘ideological loyalty’ is required to contest elections, but the rules in PoK are extremely cruel. There, any leader, judge or person holding a constitutional post has to take an oath before contesting elections that he supports the merger of Kashmir with Pakistan. If a Kashmiri says that he does not want to live with Pakistan, then he has no right to contest elections or get a government job. This condition crushes every voice that truly wants freedom.
Sham autonomy or political balance?
Additionally, Islamabad has reserved some seats in the PoK assembly in the name of ‘refugees’. Voting on these seats is not done by the people of PoK, but by about 4.34 lakh people living in different cities of Pakistan (like Karachi, Lahore). Experts say that the ruling establishment of Pakistan uses these seats to form its favorite puppet government in Muzaffarabad and influence the election results.
The mask is off, now it’s the turn of rebellion!
This fraud of Pakistan which has been going on for decades has now been completely exposed. The common citizens of PoK, who are struggling with inflation, flour famine and severe electricity shortage, have now understood that this spectacle of the President, the Prime Minister and the flag was only a means to hide their exploitation. In the recent protests, when at least 27 Kashmiris died due to the bullets of Pakistani Rangers, it became clear that for Pakistan, the land of PoK is its property, but the people there are just slaves. Even though PoK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore is begging for talks with the protesters, the Kashmiri people now know that their real exploiters are sitting in the military barracks of Rawalpindi. This mask of freedom is now completely ruined.