In a move that will give credibility to India's claims of terror camps operating out of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), local people and leaders in various parts erupted in protest on Thursday. They took to the streets voicing concerns against the mushrooming of terror camps that have made their lives “a living hell”.
Residents of Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Chinari, Mirpur, Gilgit, Diamer and Neelum Valley in PoK claim that their lives have been gravely affected by terror training camps operating in the area.
Banned organisations and terror camps are provided with food and ration here. We condemn it.A local leader in Muzaffarabad, PoK
Addressing the media, locals have said that if the government and security forces in Pakistan does not take concrete steps to end terror camps operating in Pakistan. They further threatened that if an end was not brought to the ‘no-go’ areas in Diamer, Gilgit, Baseen and others, then the locals will have to take the situation into their own hands.
Terrorism needs to be eliminated, giving shelter to terrorists won’t solve the issue.Protestors in Kotli
Earlier, tensions escalated in PoK on Sunday after residents took to the streets in Kotli to express their anger against the alleged atrocities committed by the Pakistan army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The agitation was launched against extra-judicial killings, fake encounters and brutalities committed on pro-Azadi (pro-freedom) leaders.
The protests come amid comments by exiled Baloch leaders hitting out at Pakistan for atrocities by the military in Balochistan.
Earlier, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark C Toner had said that the US was concerned about the “human rights situation” in PoK and had “reported it for several years in our Human Rights Report”.
(With agency inputs)
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