Latest news with #Pakistan-Occupied
India Gazette
08-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
PoJK's picturesque Grace Valley left in the lurch despite decades of promises
Neelum, PoJK, July 8 (ANI): Grace Valley, a picturesque region in Neelum district of Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), holds immense potential for tourism. Yet, it has suffered decades of neglect, with no meaningful development in sight in the past seventy years. The number of visitors remain dismally low due to poor road connectivity and crumbling infrastructure in the region. Today, Grace Valley stands as a symbol of broken promises and systemic exploitation. The few roads that exist are in such a dilapidated condition that locals say even a short journey can be hazardous. There are no hospitals, no functioning schools, and no reliable public services -- leaving the valley's residents feeling abandoned. Frustration among locals is mounting. In a video posted on Facebook, Khawaja Mujtaba Bandey, a local nationalist leader, described the deplorable road conditions and slammed the authorities: 'This is not a place for human life anymore. They call Neelum Valley heaven, but Grace Valley has been turned into hell by the very people who claim to represent us.' Bandey accused successive local politicians of working at Islamabad's behest, misusing public funds, ignoring the valley's fundamental needs, and failing to deliver even basic improvements. Despite official claims of large budget allocations for development, on-ground realities reveal a grim story of mismanagement and elite-driven agendas. With local elections on the horizon, Bandey has urged residents to reject these so-called representatives. He called on the people of Grace Valley and the wider Neelum region to unite on July 13 in a mass protest organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Action Committee. The protest aims to hold officials accountable for decades of looting, neglect, and suffering. Though long overlooked in official plans, the voices rising from Grace Valley's neglected roads now demand justice, and they will no longer be silenced. (ANI)
India Gazette
06-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Exiled leader Jamil Maqsood slams judicial injustice in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
Brussels [Belgium], July 6 (ANI): Jamil Maqsood, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) and currently living in exile in Belgium, has issued a scathing critique of the judicial and administrative structure in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). In a comprehensive legal paper titled 'The Incapability of the Judicial System in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir Under Pakistani Administrative Control: A Constitutional and Legal Critique', Maqsood exposed what he describes as a facade of autonomy and a systematically weakened judiciary under the tight control of Islamabad. Maqsood argued that although Pakistan claims PoJK as a self-governed region, the ground reality is one of total subjugation, enabled by the 1974 Interim Constitution, a legal instrument that he said was imposed to strip PoJK of its autonomy. He highlights that 53 out of 56 critical administrative and policy subjects are directly controlled by Pakistan, leaving the local government and judiciary virtually powerless. 'The judiciary in PoJK is a showpiece. It cannot act independently, interpret the constitution freely, or hold the military and intelligence agencies accountable,' Maqsood states in the paper. He also criticised the practice of appointing lent officers from Pakistan, including top bureaucrats, judges, and police officials, who are not answerable to the people of PoJK but instead follow the directives of Islamabad. The paper pointed to Article 257 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which states that the future of Jammu and Kashmir must be decided in accordance with the wishes of its people. Maqsood asserted that by overriding local institutions and installing unelected officials, Pakistan is itself in violation of its constitutional commitments. In his concluding recommendations, Maqsood called for urgent and concrete measures to restore judicial and political autonomy in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of all lent officers from Pakistan who currently hold key administrative and judicial positions in the region. He further urged the repeal or substantial revision of the 1974 Interim Constitution, which he argued serves as the primary instrument of Islamabad's control. Additionally, he advocated for the establishment of an independent judicial commission in PoJK to ensure merit-based appointments and uphold the rule of law. Finally, Maqsood emphasised the need for Pakistan to comply with both Article 257 of its own Constitution and relevant United Nations resolutions to respect the political will and self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He called for the restoration of genuine autonomy, warning that the existing system undermines the credibility of Pakistan internationally and robs the people of PoJK of justice, dignity, and political agency. Jamil Maqsood has long been an outspoken voice from exile, consistently highlighting issues of human rights violations, press censorship, and political repression in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. His latest paper adds legal weight to growing international concerns about Islamabad's policies in these regions. Observers say such criticism from within the diaspora is gaining ground as local media in PoJK remains under tight surveillance and judicial independence continues to erode. (ANI)
NDTV
30-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Month After Op Sindoor, Jaish Reopens Swimming Pool In Bahawalpur To Train Terrorists
Over a month ago, on May 7, India struck terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to avenge the Pahalgam attacks. In Operation Sindoor, India destroyed terror camps in Bahawalpur, the headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, a terror group responsible for several attacks in India. After a month, the terrorist group has reopened the swimming pool in the Madrassa, which is part of their training module. Bahawalpur, located in the Punjab province of Pakistan, was a high-value target for India. The precision strikes caused extensive damage to the structures, which was even confirmed by Maxar satellite images accessed and analysed by NDTV. India struck the terrorist infrastructure with precision-guided bombs, cruise missiles and drones. Interestingly, the same swimming pool was used by the terrorists who attacked a paramilitary force, the CRPF, convoy in Pulwama in 2019, in which 40 soldiers died. The terrorists even clicked a picture in the swimming pool. The four main terrorists involved in the 2019 Pulwama attack, Mohammad Umar Farooq, Talha Rashid Alvi, Mohammad Ismail Alvi and Rashid Billa, had their photographs taken in this pool before leaving for Kashmir. The Jaish terrorists undergo training in the swimming pool before infiltrating India. The terrorists have to pass the swimming test before getting recruited. India's strikes on Muridke and Bahwalpur - the nerve centre of Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorist network - were in focus. The former is Lashkar's headquarters, and the latter houses the JeM. Pakistan's defence minister, Khwaja Asif, in an interview, admitted that Pakistan has been doing the "dirty work" (funding terrorists) for the West for many decades. Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies revealed extensive destruction at nine terror-linked sites, including the Markaz Subhan Allah compound in Bahawalpur and the Markaz Taiba complex in Muridke. These locations were training and ideological centres for Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, respectively. Over 100 terrorists were killed in strikes that targeted nine sites in total. Pak Rebuilding Terror Launch Pads Pakistan has begun rebuilding terrorist launchpads and training camps that were destroyed during India's precision military strikes under Operation Sindoor in May, sources have said. A coordinated effort, with the full backing of the Pakistani military, spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and government, is underway to reconstitute these critical nodes of terror infrastructure, primarily in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and adjoining areas. According to intelligence sources, a series of small and high-tech terror facilities are being developed in dense forest areas along the Line of Control (LoC) to evade surveillance and attack. The move comes weeks after Operation Sindoor destroyed multiple terror bases that were used by groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen, and The Resistance Front (TRF).
Hans India
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Indian delegation arrives in Germany to convey India's united and resolute stand against terrorism
An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad arrived in Berlin to convey India's united and resolute stand against terrorism. India's Ambassador to Germany, Ajit Gupte, received the Indian delegation on Thursday evening and briefed them about India-Germany relations, with focus on expanding strategic partnershipas well growing cooperation in several sectors such as trade and investment, defence, science and tedchnology and mobility. "India's Ambassador to Germany Ajit V. Gupte briefed the All-Party Parliamentary Delegation led by MP Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, on arrival in Berlin," the Indian Embassy in Germany said in a post on social media platform X. "The discussions included an overview on India-Germany relations, with focus on expanding Strategic Partnership & growing cooperation in trade & investment, defence, S&T and Mobility," the Indian Embassy in Germany said in another post on X. "The All-Party Parliamentary Delegation led by Hon'ble MP Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, arrived in Berlin on June 5, 2025. Ambassador Ajit V. Gupte welcomed the nine-member delegation, which will convey India's united and resolute stand against terrorism," the Indian Embassy in Germany said on X. During their stay in Germany from June 5-7, the delegation will be interacting with senior dignitaries from the German Parliament (Bundestag) and Federal Foreign Office of Germany and key representatives from think-tanks and Indian community in Germany, according to Indian Embassy in Germany in a press statement. The nine-member delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, includes BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari, former Union Minister MJ Akbar, BJP MPs Gulam Ali Khatana, and Samik Bhattacharya; Congress MP Amar Singh, Priyanka Chaturvedi from Shiv Sena-UBT, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai and former diplomat Pankaj Saran. The delegation arrived in Germany as part of the Indian government's ongoing diplomatic outreach under Operation Sindoor and "unwavering adherence" to zero tolerance policy towards terrorism. This diplomatic effort forms part of India's global outreach following Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam by Pakistan-sponsored militants that claimed 26 lives and injured several others. Subsequently, the Indian Armed Forces carried out targeted strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-eTaiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Dakshina mein PoK chahiye': Jagadguru Rambhadracharya to Indian Army chief Upendra Dwivedi
Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited the spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya on Wednesday at Rambhadracharya's ashram in Chitrakoot. Speaking about the visit, Rambhadracharya said he asked for Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as Dakshina from the Army chief. He said, 'I gave him the same Diksha (initiation) with the Ram Mantra which Lord Hanuman had received from Maa Sita and then conquered Lanka. I have asked for Dakshina from him, and I want PoK back.' The chief of army staff visited the ashram and inaugurated the simulator machine at Sadguru Netra Chikitsalya. A member of the Sadguru Sewa Centre said that Upendra Dwivedi and Jagadguru visited their facility and observed the operation theatre process. He also said General Dwivedi was also shown the simulator machine used for medical training. The machine is used by doctors to first learn the procedures before treating the patients. 'It's a vital step in ensuring precision and safety," he said. Further, talking about the machine, the member said there are only about four to five such machines in India, and this is the first machine in Madhya Pradesh. He added that the army chief was also told about the 140 vision centres and the same number of eye surgeons operating across their network. He said that the army chief was 'deeply impressed by the scale and efficiency of the work.' Following this, there was also a discussion on how Sadguru Sewa Centres could collaborate with the service personnel to benefit them. A post on Jagadguru Rambhadracharya's official account also mentioned the visit, stating that General Dwivedi arrived at Tulsi Peeth Chitrakoot Dham and spoke about the valour of the Indian Army in front of all the saints and students. General Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Force Chief Marshal AP Singh played a crucial role in India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
