Islamabad, Aug 1 (IANS) Pakistan projecting itself abroad as a bridge between adversaries while branding traders and lawyers as “terrorists” and firing on peaceful civilians in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) reflects not two different policies but a single policy crafted for two audiences.
The domestic audience simply does not matter in Pakistan where anyone who raises their voice or questions the “rigged” system continues to face violence at the hands of the military establishment under Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, a report has stated.
“Pakistan presents itself as an advocate of dialogue and peace on the global stage, while its actions at home are increasingly defined by violence. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has built his standing abroad on mediation between the United States and Iran. The same period at home has produced proscription orders, communications blackouts and violent targeting of civilians. Batons and bullets may clear a street, but they cannot extinguish public grievances in Pakistan,” a report in the ‘European Times’ highlighted.
“There are horrifying reports of the use of brute force against protesters in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), eerily similar to violence and live bullet firing by security forces against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests in November 2024. This hypocrisy of being a peacemaker outside and brazen dictatorship at home won’t last long for the military establishment,” it stated.
According to the report, Pakistan’s “hypocrisy” was laid bare as its leaders sought to mediate between Washington and Tehran while rejecting dialogue with civilians in PoJK and instead resorting to violence.
Speaking to a television channel, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that he puts the protesters in the “same category” as India and rejects the possibility of talks, describing them as “enemies of the state.”
His remarks came amid escalating unrest in PoK, where over 50 civilians have reportedly been killed and hundreds injured in a brutal crackdown by Pakistani forces over the past few days.
“The contrast with the external record is impossible to miss. Munir flew to Tehran at the most dangerous point of the crisis, presided over 21 hours of American and Iranian talks in April, and hosted a 14-point Islamabad memorandum in June 2026. President Donald Trump publicly praised his efforts to pull the two sides back from the brink. The military institution selling restraint abroad authorised live fire at home in the same quarter,” European Times report mentioned.
It further noted that the “sham elections” in PoJK hold no meaning for local residents, serving instead as a reminder of the brutality of the occupying forces. It argued that a vote conducted under a complete communications blackout, with the region’s largest civic movement and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) banned under anti-terrorism laws, cannot confer legitimacy.
“What Munir’s recent diplomatic efforts have actually purchased is protection for himself from international scrutiny,” it stated.
–IANS
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