Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK): An integral part of India and the truth of the conflict

-
Map and symbolic graphic of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), showing Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, representing India’s constitutional claim and Pakistan’s occupation.

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) is a highly sensitive and strategically important region of South Asia, which has been the centre of tension between India and Pakistan for decades.  Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), the area which is considered an integral part of India, but has been under the control of Pakistan since the war of 1947-48. And Pakistan has been claiming this area since independence. This is the most highlighted, sensitive issue between India and Pakistan. It is not just a border dispute, but a burning issue related to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of India. Know about its history


 POK is a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. This area is currently under the occupation of Pakistan. Both the countries claim this area. The reason for India's claim, the argument of the Government of India is that Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir had signed the Instrument of Accession with India, so the entire Jammu and Kashmir is a state of India. 

 Pakistan says that when Pakistan was formed, Muslims got a separate country since Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim majority area. Therefore, it has rights over the entire Jammu and Kashmir including POK. But if we believe Pakistan, then apart from Jammu and Kashmir, Muslims also live in other states of India. If Pakistan was formed on the basis of a Muslim country, then the rest of the Muslim community should also accept it, but Pakistan remains silent on this issue. In such a situation, there is no justification for Pakistan to claim Jammu and Kashmir.

History of POK

 After the British left India, when India became independent in 1947, two nations came into existence. All the princely states of India had to choose either India or Pakistan as per their wish, one of those princely states was Jammu and Kashmir which did not want to stay with any country. They wanted to remain independent. But they attacked the tribesmen and soldiers of Pakistan. Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir sought help from India and on 26 October 1947, Jammu and Kashmir became a part of India by signing the Instrument of Accession. 

After this, the Indian army started driving away the Pakistanis. India took this issue to the UN. The UN proposed a ceasefire and this proposal came into effect from 1 January 1949. The part which was with Pakistan at the time of ceasefire is called Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. POK includes Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Baltistan areas of Jammu and Kashmir state.

Status of POK: Pakistan's rule in POK seems autonomous but in reality the entire power there is controlled by the Pakistan government and army. Pakistan has divided this region into two parts. The first part is Azad Jammu Kashmir and the second is Gilgit-Baltistan.

1. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)

 Pakistan calls it "Azad Jammu and Kashmir" (AJK), but it is not autonomous in reality. There is a President, Prime Minister and Assembly here only for show. In reality, the real rule over these is of Pakistan. Pakistan has complete control over major issues like foreign policy, defense, economy, communication and currency. Pakistan has an institution called AJK Council, in which most of the members are nominated by the Pakistani Parliament and Army.

2. Governance of Gilgit-Baltistan

This region is not a part of Pakistan constitutionally. This region also does not enjoy autonomy. Pakistan gave some "autonomy" through an order in 2009. In 2020, Pakistan talked about giving it the status of a province, to which India put it on hold after strong objection. Gilgit-Baltistan does not have its own independent constitution and the actual control is in the hands of Pakistani military and intelligence agencies.

India's stand

 India's stand on Jammu and Kashmir is clear and constitutional. According to the Indian Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Legally, Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession with India on 26 October 1947, therefore Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India. The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has a Chief Minister elected by the people. The residents there have all the rights like the rest of the states of India. Just some time ago, the Government of India has removed Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. India is continuously promoting development work there.

Conclusion 

Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is not just a geopolitical dispute but an extremely serious issue related to India's sovereignty, integrity and security. Jammu and Kashmir, including PoK, is an integral part of India from all three perspectives - history, law and constitution. The Government of India has made it clear that merging PoK with India is not just a dream but a resolution.

Today, when the world is uniting against terrorism, this area ruled by Pakistan is a matter of international concern as a base for terrorists. Also, the China-Pakistan alliance is making this region more unstable.

India is in favor of a peaceful solution, but when it comes to national unity and territorial sovereignty, India does not compromise at any cost. The issue of PoK will not only remain an important part of India's foreign policy in the times to come, but will also remain a topic of discussion on global forums.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Serbia-Kosovo Border Dispute: History, Tensions & Global Impact in 2025

-
Image
The border dispute between Serbia and Kosovo is decades old and is once again a topic of discussion on the international stage in 2025. Many countries and many organizations such as NATO, the European Union and the United Nations are constantly trying to resolve this dispute. But the situation between Serbia and Kosovo becomes tense again and again. In this article, we will shed light on the historical background, current situation and global impact of this dispute by keeping Serbia at the center. Know in detail how Kosovo separated from Serbia and what is the history of these two countries - Why did Kosovo separate from Serbia ? Before 2008, Kosovo and Serbia were one country.  Kosovo was a part of Serbia for a long time, but there were many reasons for the separation of Serbia and Kosovo. Serbia is basically a Christian country, while the people living in Kosovo came from the Muslim Albanian community, due to which there was religious conflict between the two. Apart...
Read more

"Afghanistan’s Changing Ties: US, India, and the Taliban"

-
Image
Relations between the US and the Taliban are improving, recently US citizen George Glazman was released from an Afghan prison. The US has also removed the bounty on three prominent Taliban leaders. India has also started diplomatic talks with Afghanistan. However, no country has yet officially recognised the Taliban government. Read in detail- America and Taliban are working towards normalizing their relations. The Trump administration is working towards improving relations with the Taliban. Recently, an American man who was imprisoned in Afghanistan for 2 years was released. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has written a post on social media saying that American citizen George Glezman, who was wrongly arrested in Afghanistan, has been released from Afghanistan. Let us tell you that American citizen Glezman was arrested by Afghanistan about two and a half years ago.  US Secretary of State Mark Rubio wrote a post on X Marco Rubio said that talks were held between the Ta...
Read more

Abrogation of Article 370: A Turning Point in Jammu and Kashmir's Constitutional and Political History

-
Image
Jammu and Kashmir, the most prominent state of the Republic of India, borders Pakistan and China. This state was given special status by the Indian Constitution in the form of Article 370. Article 370 was a temporary provision of the Indian Constitution. This article gave the state of Jammu and Kashmir the power to make its own constitution, separate flag and take decisions independently. This article was repealed by the Government of India on 5 August 2019. Let us know - the history of Article 370, its political and social impact, and the consequences of its removal will be analyzed in depth. History of Article 370 When the whole of India was under the British Empire, India got independence from the British in 1947, and it was divided into two parts, the first part was called India and the second Pakistan. All the princely states were asked to join either Pakistan or India. But King Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir decided not to join India or Pakistan and remain independen...
Read more