Speakers At UN Highlight Suffering Of Pok Residents And Pakistan's Terror Agenda

(MENAFN- IANS) Sydney, Sep 24 (IANS) People in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) continue to suffer massive human, economic, and psychological damage as the region remains one of the most severely impacted areas by terrorism in the entire South Asia. The plight of such communities was recently highlighted at the 60th Meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, when one of the speakers spoke on how the people of PoK suffer due to the terror agenda of the Pakistan state, a report has revealed.

Residents of the region account for just a fraction of the total Pakistani population. However, the are disproportionately suffers impact of terrorism, a reality that international indices and reputable NGOs now openly discuss. The 2024 Global Terror Index (GTI) emphasised that more than 90 per cent of terrorism deaths in the world occur in conflict zones. People of PoK not only suffer due to terrorist attacks but are also collateral victims in state-centric counterterrorism campaigns, Paul Antonopoulos wrote in the Greek City Times.

"Contemporary international reports and open-source data underscore that the region, far from being a sanctuary, stands as one of terrorism's gravest victims, bearing the brunt more intensely than perhaps any other part of the subcontinent. Terrorism has fundamentally obstructed development initiatives in the region, turning the region into one of South Asia's most underdeveloped territories. Continuous attacks and the omnipresent threat of violence have discouraged foreign investment and international aid agencies from pursuing ambitious infrastructure or economic projects, leading to infrastructural decay and a persistent lack of modern amenities," the author wrote.

"Projects aimed at reviving tourism, improving healthcare, and upgrading education have been repeatedly interrupted or abandoned, as militant activity and instability force frequent halts and divert public resources toward security rather than public welfare. The benefits of whatever little industry and tourism have developed in the region are siphoned off by companies linked to the Pakistan Army, leaving the local citizens high and dry," the report added.

Terrorism and perpetual insecurity has devastated the fragile economy of PoK. Human Rights Watch and open source reports have explained how continuous instability has kept foreign investors away, badly impacted tourism - which was once a promising industry because of the area's natural beauty, and disrupted people's livelihood like agriculture and cross-border trade.

PoK has become a fertile recruiting ground for terrorist factions who want to exploit political ambiguity and economic desperation of the region. Pakistani state provides tacit, overt support and legitimacy to radical outfits and recruiters that operate under the garb of civil society organisations which exploit the poverty and vulnerability of the local residents to recruit gullible youth to further their violent and radical agenda.

"The state of Pakistan uses the region as a launch-pad to furthers its expansionist agenda, rather than caring about its development. The persistent insecurity produces a heavy psychological toll. PTSD and anxiety are reported at epidemic rates among children and adults, compounded by arbitrary detentions and disappearances targeting pro-reform activists or those suspected by terrorist groups of cooperation with authorities. The climate of fear is sustained both by terrorist violence and the threat of military crackdowns, contributing to widespread resentment, alienation, and political disenfranchisement. The frustration of the people and the anger of its youth is boiling over. They are protesting for their rights," the report mentioned.

MENAFN24092025000231011071ID1110104069