Ruling by force will only fuel more unrest in PoK: Report

London, Oct 3 Unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has demonstrated a core contradiction in Pakistan's decades-long Kashmir policy. Pakistan claims to defend rights of Kashmiris at international forums. However, reality in PoK is far less flattering. The protests and crackdown have showcased that Pakistan's grip on PoK is weak, a report detailed on Friday.

At least nine people have been killed in recent clashes in PoK. Furthermore, police conducted raid at the National Press Club in Islamabad, beating and injuring journalists and Kashmiri activists in an attempt to silence solidarity gatherings, according to a report in the 'Global Order'.

The report further said, "The political shock waves of this approach are now being felt in London. In a letter dated 30 September 2025, Imran Hussain MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir, urged the UK Government to press Pakistan for de-escalation, restoration of communications, and meaningful dialogue. Hussain’s intervention matters because it reflects growing unease in the British Parliament about Islamabad’s management of its administered territories."

The report has highlighted several reasons on why Pakistan is repressing protests in PoK. The report said, "The territory operates under tight federal control. Absolute authority lies not with the local legislative assembly but with Islamabad’s ministries and the security establishment. Protests demanding lower taxes or better services are interpreted not simply as economic grievances, but as implicit challenges to Pakistan’s sovereignty."

According to the report, the economy of PoK is heavily reliant on subsidies from Pakistan. However, Pakistan, which itself is facing a financial crisis, has little capacity to provide relief to PoK. Pakistan has instead used coercion to suppress discontent, reinforcing the view that PoK is governed as a client territory instead of being an autonomous entity. Pakistan is managing dissent in PoK through blackouts, arrests, and media restrictions, making it harder for international observers to analyse the situation.

A report in Global Order stated, "Islamabad frames Kashmir only as an issue of Indian sovereignty, distracting attention from how it governs the region... Pakistani authorities block journalists and NGOs, so independent reports of abuses rarely emerge. The protests and crackdown prove that Pakistan’s grip on the region is weak. Ruling by force rather than reform will only fuel more unrest. If protests grow, Islamabad’s whole Kashmir strategy could collapse. Letters such as Imran Hussain’s show that Western capitals are starting to register this shift. For the UK and other international actors, the primary concern is the human rights of those affected by the blackout."

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