Recent events in Pakistan occupied Kashmir illustrate the inconsistency of western media in relation to the region.
Alleged human rights contraventions in the part of Kashmir administered by the Indian government attract immediate attention. Questions are asked in the House of Commons in London. Angry statements are issued. A vocal diaspora community swings into action. Yet BBC reporting that 40 people had died in protests PoJK went virtually unnoticed in the UK media.
Because of restrictions imposed by the Pakistan government on Rawalakot, where much of the trouble flared, it is hard to have a clear picture of exactly what happened. But it seems that large numbers gathered to demand affordable food and electricity and to protest about the system which reserves 12 seats in the legislative assembly for people who do not live in the region.
These protests were met with a major crackdown. The group leading them, the JAAC, was promptly banned under anti-terror legislation. Internet access was severely curtailed and restrictions placed on several media outlets.
Protesters accused the authorities of firing live ammunition indiscriminately into crowds. Whilst some of those who lost their lives appear to have been members of security forces, it seems that the vast majority of fatalities were protesters.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for “prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all deaths that have occurred due to the unrest, both amongst protesters and members of security forces”.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, there was little interest shown in the issue in the UK media. In contrast, the educationrelated demonstrations in New Delhi in July received extensive coverage.
A second issue which fails to get the attention it merits is the plight of young Hindu and Christian girls in Pakistan. While they do not break down their figures into separate numbers for Pakistan and PoJK, the respected charity, Open Doors, has estimated that every year around a thousand girls from religious minorities are abducted and subjected to forced marriage and forced conversion.
That includes the horrific case in Faisalabad in 2021 of 12-year-old Christian girl, Farah Shaheen, who was enslaved and shackled in an animal pen by a man who had compelled her to marry him.
A United Nations committee of experts recently stated: “These women and girls endure a continuous sense of terror, face coercion and are deprived of their freedom of religion or belief and autonomy under patriarchal and political pressures. This must stop…”.
But on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, there are grounds for hope and optimism. Local people are working hard to try to rebuild the visitor economy there after the horrors of the Pahalgam attack by terrorists.
Of course that is a difficult task, which will take time. But US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, gave it a boost during his recent visit Srinagar. The US State Department currently advises its citizens not to travel to Jammu and Kashmir but Ambassador Gore said they would re-evaluate that and consider whether it still reflected conditions on the ground. He acknowledged improvements in the security situation achieved by the Indian authorities.
Having visited Kashmir as a backpacker many years ago, I will never forget the outstanding scenic beauty of the place. I sincerely hope that Mr Gor’s words bring forward the day when many more people can see this breathtaking landscape for themselves.
His acknowledgement that Kashmir is “an important part of India” doubtlessly caused consternation in Islamabad. But the Ambassador’s approach accords with the Instrument of Accession executed by Maharaja Hari Singh, the anniversary of which I was pleased to celebrate alongside Bob Blackman during my time as MP; reaffirming the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of India over the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
*The Right Honourable Dame Theresa Villiers DBE, was MP from 2005 to 2024 and is former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
