وسعت اللہ خان

The column argues that Pakistan's long-standing Kashmir narrative has obscured mounting discontent in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Public anger began with electricity boycotts and expanded into protests over poor governance, political interference from Islamabad, legislators' privileges and disputed seats reserved for residents outside the territory. The Joint Awami Action Committee emerged as a grassroots challenge to established political forces, but delayed agreements and weak implementation deepened distrust. The author says the government is now framing the unrest as foreign interference and terrorism while restricting internet and mobile services and limiting independent media coverage. The central criticism is that Pakistan applies human-rights standards selectively: abuses in Indian-administered Kashmir are prominently highlighted, while criticism of conditions in Pakistan-administered Kashmir is dismissed.