New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday urged the International community to take note of the atrocities that are taking place in illegal Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India.

“The whole of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. The issues that should concern the international community are the atrocities currently being perpetrated in the illegal Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the use of PoK for cross-border terrorism,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi.

He was responding to a question on the meeting that took place in Islamabad on Thursday between Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and his Pakistani counterpart Ishq Dar following which a joint statement was issued which mentioned that they discussed regional issues, including Kashmir.

PoK is currently witnessing the most extensive confrontation between the local population and the Pakistani state in decades, with deadly violence, suspension of the internet, and allegations of police brutality. The protests, which initially began over increasing prices of electricity and essential commodities, have transformed into a movement calling for political reforms, greater accountability, and representative government.

In recent weeks, several videos posted on various social media handles, including that of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), have shown the brutality of Pakistani forces in PoK. Several videos shared on social media also showed women protesters running desperately to save their lives as local police unleashed terror and opened fire on a peaceful protest rally in PoK’s Kotli.

JAAC member Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri has said that more than 50 people have been killed and hundreds injured during the brutal crackdown by Pakistani forces in PoK.

Thousands of people took part in protest rallies held in several parts of PoK on Thursday, expressing full support to the JAAC and raising their voices against the brutal violence unleashed by the Pakistani forces over the past many months.

–IANS

ksk/as