The Pakistani government acknowledged that Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) is a foreign territory during a case in the Islamabad High Court. This statement emerged in the context of the kidnapping case of Kashmiri poet Ahmed Farhad Shah. The declaration has significant implications for the geopolitical status of POK.
The government of Pakistan made a rare acknowledgement before the Islamabad High Court that Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), a territory outside of its jurisdiction. This admission came from Pakistan’s Additional Attorney General during the ongoing case of the kidnapping of Kashmiri poet and journalist Ahmed Farhad Shah.
The Islamabad court, currently hearing the case of Ahmed Farhad Shah, who abducted from his residence in Rawalpindi by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies on May 15th. The Pakistani authorities now conceded that POK, a foreign territory, and that Pakistan does not have legal authority over this region.
This statement by the Pakistani government represents a rare acknowledgment regarding the status of the disputed Kashmir region. Typically, Pakistan maintained that POK, an integral part of the country, but the legal admission in this case contradicts that long-held position. The implications of this revelation are likely to have significant political and diplomatic consequences going forward.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court summoned Farhad Shah, a poet, to appear before the court following a petition filed by his wife.
During the court proceedings, Pakistan’s Additional Attorney General argued that Farhad Shah currently in police custody in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). The Additional Attorney General contended that since POK has its own constitution and courts, the Islamabad High Court could not exercise jurisdiction over the matter, and producing Farhad Shah would be akin to complying with the judgment of a foreign court.
However, Justice Kayani questioned this stance, pointing out that if POK indeed a foreign territory, then how could the Pakistani military and Rangers have access to and operate within that region. This apparent contradiction in the government’s position highlighted by the judge during the hearing.
The case highlights the complex legal and political dynamics surrounding the status of POK and the ability of Pakistani courts to exercise jurisdiction over matters occurring in that region.
During a court hearing, Kayani, a prominent figure, criticized Pakistan’s intelligence agencies for their continued practice of forcibly abducting individuals.
The court argument revealed that Ahmed Farhad Shah being detained by the Dhirkot police. There are two existing cases against him in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).
The high court hearing a petition filed by Farhad Shah’s wife regarding his abduction from his residence by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.
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Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir under Pakistan’s occupation since 1947 and is considered an integral part of India, as reiterated by the Indian Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, in a recent statement.
Jaishankar stated,
“POK has always belonged to India and will continue to be part of India,”
Ahmed Farhad Shah, a poet and journalist, also a vocal activist championing the rights of the people in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. He consistently critiqued the dominant role of the military in Pakistan and has been at the forefront of numerous protests against the government in POK.