S Jaishankar reacts to violent PoK protests: ‘I have no doubt…’
External affairs minister S Jaishankar reiterated that Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir “will always be part of India” while speaking on the ongoing violent protests erupting in the region due to high inflation rates. S Jaishankar further said amid the violence, the people of PoK must be comparing their situation to Jammu and Kashmir saying there is evident progress in the union territory.
The external affairs minister stressed that the analysis of the situation is highly complex.
“There is a ferment happening in PoK, you can see it on social media or television. The analysis of it is very complex but definitely, I have no doubt in my own mind that someone living in PoK is comparing their situation with someone actually living in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that how is it that people today are actually progressing there,” Jaishankar said.
EAM Jaishankar added, “They know that sense of being under occupation, of being discriminated, of being treated badly, clearly that any such comparison would be preying on their minds.”
After being asked when PoK would merge with India, Jaishankar corrected the question and reiterated that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was and will always be a part of India.
“I don’t know what you mean by merge because it has been India, it will always be…if you ask me when will the occupation end, I actually find it very interesting,” he said.
The external affairs minister added, “Till Article 370 was continuing, in our own country, actually, there was not much discussion about PoK. There was at one point in the 1990s, in fact when some pressure was put on us by Western countries at that time…at that time…parliament unanimously passed a resolution.”
Jaishankar’s remarks come even as violent protests erupted in PoK since Friday, with demonstrators urging the administration to bring down electricity prices. On Tuesday, at least three were killed and six left injured after Pakistani security forces opened fire on protestors who attacked their personnel.