With the peaceful protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) refusing to die owing to an adamant establishment, the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and Field Marshal Asim Munir-led military planned to manufacture chaos. A narrative shift is what the Pakistan establishment is desperate for, and hence it has been decided to make the protests chaotic. Since the start of the protests, there have been reports of aggression only by the establishment.
JAAC maintains peaceful protest
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been leading the protests, has ensured that it would not indulge in violence. Despite the Pakistani security forces using brutal force and committing multiple human rights violations, the protesters have ensured that the demonstrations remain peaceful.
Pak govt pushing thugs, terrorists into protests
Now, the establishment has planned on pushing some thugs and terrorists into protest venues. They have been told to create chaos so that the blame could fall on the protesters at PoK, an official said. An Intelligence Bureau official said that the establishment wants to portray the people of PoK as the aggressors.
The establishment also wants to justify the force that they have been using in the region ever since the demonstrations began. Questions are being asked of the Pakistani security establishment by many in the international community as well as human rights groups.
Islamabad is already under pressure owing to a massive economic crisis and the worsening situation in both Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The crisis in PoK has only added to the misery of Pakistan. An official said the Pakistani establishment does not give in to the demands of the people of PoK.
On the other hand, they are unable to justify the use of force to quell the movement. Manufacturing aggression with the help of terrorists and rowdies would make it look as though the protesters have turned violent, the official said. This would give the establishment the perfect justification for the use of force and they would cite national security as the reason, the official also said.
Another official said that this shows the desperation of the country. Earlier, it tried running a narrative that these protests are being backed and funded by India. It accused India of meddling in its internal affairs so that the narrative would shift from the real issues, the official said.
Pakistan's desperation has been such that recently, during the protests, a man moving around suspiciously was caught by members of the JAAC. The man entered the protest venue identifying himself as a police official. However, he was caught planting Indian currency at the protest site.
Pakistani officials are planning to blame India for the protests
When apprehended, he said that a senior official had given him these notes and asked him to drop them off at the protest ground. This was a clear attempt to claim that the protests were being funded by India.
Had this man from Rawalkot not been called out, then the news with images of the Indian currency at the protest sites would have made it to the Pakistani media. The intention was to run the news and project to the international community that these protests have been manufactured and funded by India, an official said.
A meeting of the JAAC and the establishment has now been scheduled for July 21 as opposed to the earlier date of July 15. The protesters have, however, made it clear that time has been granted so that the government can fulfil their demands.
However, if the government fails to do so, then the protests would intensify, the JAAC also said. The people of PoK have been seeking solutions for issues such as inflation, electricity tariffs and governance concerns.
(With inputs from IANS)
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