Muzaffarabad: It has been 12 days since normal life in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was forced to a standstill. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has claimed widespread disruptions, despite official assertions that the situation is returning to normal. In a social media post, the group highlighted how the Shehbaz Sharif-led government is building a false narrative against locals by showcasing an artificial return to normalcy in the valley.
The JAAC exposed the reality of the Pakistani media, which has been broadcasting visuals claiming that peace and regular activity have been restored to the region.
(People chant slogans as they walk during a protest and shutter-down strike called by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) | CREDIT: REUTERS)
In a post on X, the JAAC stated that schools, hospitals, markets, transport services, and internet connectivity remain severely affected across the area. It alleged that while Pakistan's national media continues to broadcast visuals suggesting normalcy, the situation on the ground is markedly different.
Region largely shutdown
The committee claimed that markets in Rawalakot remain largely shut under what it described as an undeclared curfew imposed on June 6, followed by a declared curfew on June 9. It also disputed remarks attributed to PoK Prime Minister Faisal Rathore, who reportedly said the public had rejected the sit-in by "troublemakers" and that only a handful of protesters remained at Dar-e-Aid Grounds.
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Rejecting that claim, JAAC said, "The ground reality is entirely different," adding that journalists returning from the protest site were reporting a situation contrary to the official narrative.
Less than 15 per cent of market are open
The committee further alleged that authorities had managed to reopen less than 15 per cent of markets in the Mirpur Division, while shortages of food, medicines and other essential supplies were beginning to emerge due to the prolonged shutdown.
JAAC also claimed that the ongoing unrest has disrupted the political process, alleging that several prominent political leaders and electoral candidates have been forced to submit "absentee nomination papers." It accused mainstream political parties of remaining absent from the region while addressing the crisis through press conferences in Islamabad.
Questioning Pakistan's political leadership, the committee alleged that those who had governed the region for decades were responsible for the current situation. "If foreign hands are involved, then what flowers have you been cultivating here for the past seventy years?" JAAC asked, accusing political leaders of invoking patriotism only when their own interests were threatened.
(With inputs from agency)
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