Srinagar: Kashmir’s chief preacher Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), where clashes have left many people dead ahead of a major protest march to Muzaffarabad.
The ongoing unrest, sparked by a long-running dispute over representation, electricity tariffs, and subsidies, has drawn sharp criticism from India, which termed the situation a “direct consequence” of Islamabad’s decades-long exploitation of the region.
For the first time, Mirwaiz issued a statement asking the Pakistani government to choose the path of dialogue with the protesters rather than force.
Expressing his deep pain over the loss of civilian and police lives, particularly in Rawalakot and Poonch, he asked the Pakistan government and local authorities to prioritise dialogue over confrontation.
“Questions touching upon identity, representation, and political rights require sensitivity, dialogue, and broad public confidence,” Mirwaiz said, noting that happenings across the Line of Control (LoC) resonate deeply within Jammu and Kashmir due to shared social and family ties.
“Our history and our shared social, cultural and family ties across the Line of Control remind us that happenings in one part of Jammu and Kashmir are deeply felt in another, and among our diaspora communities around the world,” he said.
He called on the local government there to respect human rights and appealed to the protesting groups to exercise responsibility to restore peace.
“Both need to work towards restoring peace and public confidence at the earliest. I pray for lasting peace and stability for all people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides of the LoC and its resolution,” he added.
The statement comes on a day when Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a coalition of socio-political groups spearheading the agitation in PoJK, called for a massive long march to the capital city of Muzaffarabad on Wednesday following expiring of an ultimatum given to the Pakistani government.
Fresh clashes in Sudhnoti and Mathiyal Mera reportedly killed nine people, including a Pakistan Ranger, pushing the total death toll since June 5 to 28 people comprising 23 civilians and five security personnel.
The JAAC is demanding the release of arrested leaders, the restoration of communication services, and cheaper access to basic amenities like food and electricity.
It is also demanding the abolition of a quota system that reserves 12 of the 53 seats in the PoJK Assembly for Jammu and Kashmir refugees settled in Pakistan and argues this arrangement gives outside residents an unfair political advantage.
The Ministry of External Affairs has hit out at Islamabad over the deteriorating situation.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday that the protests are the outcome of Pakistan’s “systemic exploitation and administrative oppression” in areas under its “forcible” occupation.
New Delhi called on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for “egregious abuses and misdeeds” in the territory.
