The government of Shehbaz Sharif has made considerable efforts to quell the unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK). A committee of ministers and leaders has been dispatched to PoK to negotiate a resolution. Shehbaz himself has stated he will take action on the matter and has also instructed the army to take action.
Amidst these governmental measures, a question arises: Will the unrest in PoK subside? This article delves into the details.
**Why is there unrest in PoK?**
The Pakistan Kashmir Public Action Committee is protesting over 38 demands. The committee demands the abolition of the 12 seats reserved for migrants in the PoK assembly. The committee is also demanding an end to the VIP culture of the leaders.
There are two main reasons for the demands. The first reason is that the PoK assembly has a total of 53 seats, and 27 seats are required to form a government. In this case, the 12 reserved seats for migrants become very important. The reserved seats for migrants determine who will get the chair of PoK.
Pakistan’s government plans reach PoK at a slow pace. Due to its location on the border with India, PoK is often turbulent. The lives of the people here are quite difficult.
**Will the unrest in PoK subside?**
It doesn’t seem likely at the moment. According to Shaukat Nawaz Mir of the Action Committee, protests will continue until their demands are met. Protesters have begun demonstrations with corpses in the capital, Muzaffarabad.
Meanwhile, leaders of the migrant community say that when they came from India at the time of partition, they were given these seats. If these seats are taken away, they will create a separate ruckus.
According to 2017 figures, the population of migrants in Pakistan-administered Kashmir is 2.5 million. The number of original inhabitants is 2.7 million. That means the Pakistani government is caught between a rock and a hard place.