Exiled PoK activists hold anti-Pak protest outside European Parliament

Updated:7 years ago

Brussels (Belgium), Oct 24 (ANI): Exiled political activists from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) gathered outside the European Parliament in Brussels to protest against Pakistan sponsored atrocities and plundering of resources in the region. Disgruntled PoK activists shouted slogans against Islamabad blaming it for construction of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydro Power Project and Diamer Bhasha Dam that have not only severely affected the flora and fauna of the region but have left the common people reeling under abject poverty. Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, Chairman of United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) said, "Today, we are here in Brussels in front of European Parliament demonstrating against the plundering of the natural resources of Kashmiri people. We are here to protest against the state brutality and for the people who are suffering because of the policies of the government of Pakistan. We are actually protesting against their policies, their nefarious designs and we are protesting in favour of rule of law, in favour of democracy and safety of the human rights". Jamil Maqsood, an activist of UKPNP added, "The fundamental purpose of this demonstration was to highlight the human rights violations in the Pakistan administered Kashmir and occupied Gilgit Baltistan because Pakistan is constructing Neelum Jhelum hydropower project and Diamer Bhasha dam in Gilgit Baltistan and both these areas people have been asked to leave their properties and leave their land without paying them any alternative land and without paying them any compensation". "In Muzaffarabad, they have diverted River Neelum which is at the brink of extinction. It is completely destroyed and approximately hundreds of thousands of people in Neelum, Muzaffarabad and other lower riparian areas have been (are) deprived of basic necessity of water", said Maqsood. Activists from Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Mohajirs also joined the protest to raise issues of human rights violations as Islamabad has employed similar repressive patterns in their provinces. Pakistan has been according a second class citizen treatment to the people of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh. This diabolic pattern of suppressing its own people has witnessed a significant escalation since the advent of the multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).