Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri's Crusade for PoJK: Unraveling Regional Turmoil

Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, chairman of UKPNP, voices concern over PoJK's dire conditions amid regional instability. Reflecting on historical conflicts and current socio-political environment, he calls for international attention. Kashmiri highlights economic woes, political fragility, and the manipulation of local struggles by vested interests.

Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, the chairman of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP), has long advocated for the rights of citizens in Pakistan-occupied Jammu-Kashmir (PoJK). In an exclusive interview with the Mirror Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmiri shed light on the pressing issues facing the region, elaborating on Pakistan's political and economic hurdles and the wider international ramifications.

Kashmiri lamented the Kashmir conflict's devastating impact, pointing to the loss of up to 200,000 lives due to Operation Tupac initiated in the late 1990s. Despite these profound sacrifices, he asserted PoJK's political landscape remains precarious, with unresolved disputes and ongoing instability raising questions about Pakistan's military strategies, given its current economic constraints.

Highlighting PoJK's dire socio-economic conditions, Kashmiri criticized local leadership for exploiting their status, further deepening the crisis. He described Azad Kashmir as a 'base camp' for terrorism, manipulated by both internal and external forces. Kashmiri raised concerns over Pakistan's fragmented political system, dominated by the military, and criticized unfulfilled promises amid economic struggles.

(With inputs from agencies.)