Reports of violence have emerged from PoK

Jaishankar spoke during an event in Kolkata

PoK has been India: Jaishankar

Reports of violence have emerged from regions of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Death of three civilians and a police officer have been reported. Demands of power and wheat subsidies have been made by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The Pakistan government has approved a sanction of Rs 23 crore in this regard. Today, there are certain ferments happening in POK. “The analysis of it is very complex but I definitely have no doubt in my own mind that someone living in POK is comparing their situation with someone living in Jammu and Kashmir and seeing how people there are progressing nowadays. They know the sense of being under occupation or being discriminated against or treated badly,” Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar said during an event in Kolkata. 

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Jaishankar also responded to whether there was scope for reintegration of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir with India. He stated that the abrogation of Section 370 is what has led to such discussions. “PoK has been India, it will always be…if you ask me when will the occupation end, I actually find it very interesting. 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 added.