KOLKATA: Highlighting the protests in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday, reiterated that “it has been India and will always be,” adding that people in PoK must be comparing their situation with those living in Jammu and Kashmir, pointing out the evident progress in the latter region. EAM Jaishankar was interacting at ‘Why Bharat Matters’ events and the release of the Bangla edition of his book in Kolkata. Further, on the current situation in the PoJK, Jaishankar stressed that the analysis of the situation is very complex. He said that someone living in PoJK would be comparing their situation with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, thinking about how people over there are actually progressing. “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,” he said. “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,” EAM added. On being asked about when would PoK merge, Jaishankar corrected his question and reiterated that PoJK was and will always be ours. “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. 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,” he recalled. Jaishankar further emphasised that today, people here have become aware of Indian history and the mistakes made in the past. “But when we actually moved on 370 and finally put an end to what was a temporary provision of the constitution which should never have continued for that long and which was actually in a way fuelling the separatism and violence and terrorists,” Jaishankar said. He continued, “I think people across the country today have become aware of our history, of the mistakes that were made in the past.” The Pakistan Paramilitary rangers on Monday, unlawfully deployed in PoJK, gunned down several protestors leaving dozens and several others severely wounded. The incident left several locals of the area injured, as locals in several thousand were out on the streets to raise their demands against taxes on electricity bills, cuts in subsidies and an end to the perks and privileges of the Prime Minister and President.
