Political activists from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have expressed concerns over growing extremism and terrorist activities in the region during an event on the sidelines of the 39th Session of the UN Human Rights Session in Geneva.


Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, exiled chairman of United Kashmir People's National Party, said, "PoK has remained a hub of terrorism for decades. Pakistan's agencies have created terrorists' infrastructure in the area to carry out terrorist activities in other parts of the Kashmir. It has become a launching pad. We have complete information that Pakistan has not changed its policies, it is merely statements by them to mislead the international community, but terrorist camps are running under the patronage of state of Pakistan."


Another human rights activist from PoK, Dr Shabir Choudhry, said, "They have got a license to intimidate and frighten people. If need to be, they kill them."


"Now, with the new government in Pakistan, the situation is going to be bad to worse because of Imran Khan. Although he went to Oxford, going to Oxford doesn't make any difference. He is called as `Taliban Khan' because a man who can give Rs. 30 crore from the official budget of the KPK to madrasas, which is known as Taliban university, you can see how much he has given unofficially. And how much support he is giving it to these fundamentalist groups, whose duty is to kill or convert people," he added.


Several political activists have highlighted the issues concerning the people of PoK, who have been facing persecution by Islamabad. The construction of Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project on River Neelum has created environmental issues and severe water crisis in the capital Muzaffarabad.


Image: PoK residents hold protest rally against atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army.