UKPNP Holds Convention in Kotli, Highlights Issues in PoJK
The United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) held a two-day-long annual central convention in Kotli, Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The event focused on human rights violations, development challenges, and the misuse of the region for breeding terrorists.
A large number of people from different districts of PoJK attended the event. A massive rally was also held in the Thorar region, where attendees raised slogans against the Pakistani administration and carried banners demanding action from the PoJK government.
The PoJK region faces issues such as the unavailability of basic amenities, severe infrastructural underdevelopment, major power cuts, and brutalities inflicted on locals by defense forces. People have also been vocal about the revocation of subsidies for essential items like flour and wheat.
UKPNP leader Sajid Hussain addressed the public in Kotli, stating, “The Pakistani administration has orchestrated several genocides. They are harming the Baloch community in Balochistan, the Pashtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Sindhis in Sindh. They aimed to orchestrate a genocide in the region of PoJK. They had raised the demand for deploying the Frontier Corps (FC), Punjab Constabulary (PC), and Rangers. All this resulted in the death of three youngsters, and we will never let their sacrifice go in vain. There is only one way to achieve our goals, and that is through peaceful protest.”
He continued, “Under all conditions, we will continue our struggle in PoJK. We will keep raising our voices for our rights, for equality, freedom, and the establishment of democracy. Our struggle will continue to be peaceful and diplomatic. They have consistently tried to turn our recent protests violent, but they have not succeeded. We were not just protesting outside the UN or the UK Parliament; instead, we diversified our protests against the Pakistani administration to several other locations. We believe that harm inflicted on even one resident of PoJK is harm to the entire community.”
Previously, the UKPNP condemned the administration’s decision to deploy Pakistani defense forces in PoJK. According to UKPNP’s statement, the deployment, authorized by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, was intended to quell the ongoing movement for people’s rights in PoJK and was viewed as a betrayal of the Kashmiri people. The statement emphasized that Pakistan’s invasion of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir on October 22, 1947, resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent Kashmiris and the forced division of the state, sowing seeds of communalism and ongoing bloodshed. The UKPNP asserted that Pakistan lacks legitimacy in Kashmir and has no right to deploy its forces there.
This decision has drawn attention in the region, particularly following the incident that resulted in three deaths in Muzaffarabad, allegedly involving paramilitary forces during a peaceful sit-in demanding the release of detained activists by June 25. Furthermore, the UKPNP has appealed to the United Nations and the international community to intervene and demand that Pakistan refrain from using force against peaceful protesters in PoJK.
Doubts Revealed
UKPNP -: UKPNP stands for United Kashmir People’s National Party. It is a political group that works for the rights and issues of people in the Kashmir region.
Convention -: A convention is a large meeting or conference where people discuss important topics. In this case, it was about issues in PoJK.
Kotli -: Kotli is a place in the region of PoJK, which stands for Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
PoJK -: PoJK stands for Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It is a part of the larger Kashmir region that is currently controlled by Pakistan.
Human rights violations -: Human rights violations are actions that harm people’s basic rights and freedoms, like the right to live safely and speak freely.
Breeding terrorists -: Breeding terrorists means creating or supporting people who engage in terrorism, which is the use of violence to create fear for political reasons.
Rally -: A rally is a large gathering of people who come together to show support for a cause or to protest against something.
Pakistani administration -: Pakistani administration refers to the government and officials of Pakistan who manage and control the region.
Sajid Hussain -: Sajid Hussain is a leader of the UKPNP who speaks out about the issues in PoJK.
UN -: UN stands for the United Nations, an international organization that works to maintain peace and security around the world.
International community -: The international community refers to all the countries and organizations around the world that work together on global issues.
