Expert Blasts Global Silence on Pakistan’s Violent Crackdown in PoK, Calls Out OIC’s “Hypocrisy”
New Delhi, October 5 – In a scathing criticism of the international community, European writer and West Asia affairs expert Michael Arizanti has accused global powers and Islamic nations of “shameful hypocrisy” for ignoring recent state violence in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Writing in the Times of Israel, Arizanti questioned why “the death of a Palestinian in Gaza becomes a global headline, but the killing of a Kashmiri Muslim in Muzaffarabad is reduced to a footnote.”
The unrest in PoK escalated after Pakistani security forces opened fire on civilians protesting against rising electricity tariffs and wheat flour prices in Muzaffarabad, Dheerkot, Rawalakot, and Mirpur. At least 10 people were reported dead and over 100 injured. Residents are also reeling under curfews and a communications blackout that has affected nearly 4.5 million people.
The agitation, led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), is based on a 38-point charter of demands. These include subsidised flour, affordable electricity, free education and healthcare, political reforms, and the removal of lavish perks enjoyed by government officials. Muzaffarabad has become the nerve centre of the protests, with businesses, markets, and public transport shut down.
Arizanti strongly criticised the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab nations for remaining silent, despite their routine condemnation of India over Jammu and Kashmir. “The OIC, so eager to issue statements against India, has not uttered a single word about the massacre in PoK. Where are the imams, scholars, and ministers who speak passionately about Gaza every Friday? The hypocrisy is transparent,” he charged.
The expert also called out Western powers for their selective outrage. “The same capitals that lit up monuments in solidarity with Ukraine remain silent when Pakistan crushes dissent in territory it falsely calls ‘Azad’,” Arizanti wrote. “Is Kashmiri blood worth less? Is Pakistani repression more acceptable?”
Demanding urgent global action, Arizanti urged the United Nations to investigate the killings, and the European Union to treat the PoK situation as a crime against humanity. He emphasised that the protests were not separatist in nature but focused on basic human needs.
“The people of PoK want electricity they can afford, wheat they can eat, and representation they can trust. They are not asking for secession, but for dignity. Yet the Pakistani state responds with bullets,” he said.
He concluded with a sharp reminder: “Kashmiris in PoK deserve the same rights and protections the world grants to Ukrainians, Palestinians, or any oppressed people. Their blood is not cheaper, their cries are not quieter; they are simply unheard.”
