After weeks of violent unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where protesters took to the streets over various grievances, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s PML-N appears to be adopting a softer approach towards the demonstrators, according to a PTI report.
The political shift comes despite the party’s earlier claims that members of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were among the protesters, an allegation used to justify a tougher crackdown.
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'99% of PoK protesters are...': PM Sharif's adviser
Rana Sanaullah, PM's adviser, addressing a rally on Saturday, said that 99 per cent of the PoK protesters are "patriotic brothers." This comes ahead of the third phase of "elections" in PoK.
"Ninety-nine per cent of those associated with the Joint Awami Action Committee are our patriotic brothers," news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
Assurance of 'resolving the issue'
Promising dialogue, the Prime Minister's adviser also said the political party's representatives would meet members of the banned JAAC soon.
{{/usCountry}}Promising dialogue, the Prime Minister's adviser also said the political party's representatives would meet members of the banned JAAC soon.
{{/usCountry}}"When the PML(N) government will be formed with two-third majority, it will sit with [Joint Awami] Action Committee representatives. Their first task will be to resolve this issue," Sanaullah said.
In the first two phases of the elections, the PML(N) secured 25 out of 45 assembly seats, crossing the majority mark in the so-called PoK assembly amid allegations of massive rigging, the report added. Four seats remain to be contested in the third phase on Monday.
Meanwhile, voting in seven constituencies has been indefinitely postponed.
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Protests in PoK
The PoK region has been engulfed in protests for over two months, spearheaded by the JAAC. The demonstrations triggered a security forces' crackdown.
Earlier in June, the regional government officially banned the JAAC. The tensions escalated as the elections in the region began on July 27.
The key demand at the centre of the protests is the abolition of the 12 contentious refugee seats in PoK.
Amid the unrest, allegations from the JAAC have emerged. The group alleged that 400 protesters have been killed since the first week of June. Furthermore, it also claimed that more than 40 people, including women and children, were killed since polling began.
The Pakistan government has denied civilian deaths, dismissing these claims as "overly exaggerated."
Reactions to the PoK protests
The situation has drawn significant domestic and international scrutiny:
Rights organisations: Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have expressed concerns over reports of violence in the region.
Pakistan's ex-minister: Pakistan's former foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, also expressed "concern" over the unrest in PoK.
United Nations: The UN on August 7 expressed concern over the security situation in PoK.
Also Read | India denounces Pak's use of 'ruthless force' in PoK protest crackdown
India's stance
India consistently maintains that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country.
New Delhi asserts that Pakistan remains in "illegal and forcible occupation" of parts of these UTs.