A scathing report has dismantled Pakistan’s yearly ‘self-determination’ posturing, arguing it masks the iron-fisted control over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan. Released on Thursday, the Eurasia Review analysis insists genuine autonomy is evident in people’s lived experiences, not ritualistic statements from Islamabad.
Pakistan marks January 5 as ‘Right to Self-Determination Day,’ using the occasion to stake false claims on Jammu and Kashmir. Yet, the report highlights how federal overlords in Pakistan dictate every major decision in these territories, rendering local bodies mere puppets.
Suppression is rampant: independence advocates are silenced, journalists operate under suffocating censorship, and constitutional barriers block any meaningful self-rule. Development lags disastrously, with locals enduring neglect while Islamabad prioritizes propaganda.
Meanwhile, India’s Jammu and Kashmir has seen a renaissance since 2019. Infrastructure booms—new highways, rail lines, reliable power grids, upgraded hospitals, and better schools. Tourism’s resurgence has sparked economic vitality, generating employment and boosting local businesses.
Direct cash transfers have streamlined aid, property laws now protect women and the underprivileged, and district elections have empowered communities. High voter participation and rising economic indicators reflect a shift toward normalcy and prosperity.
The report skewers Pakistan’s double standards: clamoring for global intervention in India’s affairs while dodging accountability for its own abuses. It condemns India’s human rights record selectively, ignores its own restrictions on dissent, and criticizes troops while nurturing militants.
As India’s integral territory, Jammu and Kashmir thrives with democratic institutions and constitutional safeguards. Its people, through ballots and bustling markets, vote with their feet for integration, growth, and peace—rejecting Pakistan’s divisive myths that romanticize unrest over real solutions.
