'PoK was, is and always will be part of India,' says EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reiterated India’s stance that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is an integral part of India and will always remain so, amid ongoing protests in Muzaffarabad against the Pakistani government.

Jaishankar’s remarks come as PoK witnesses widespread protests against high electricity bills, taxes and soaring inflation. He also stated that “one day we will end the illegal occupation of the PoK and the PoK will join with India.”

“These days, a lot of things are going on at the PoK. You must have seen some incidents happening there. Now, Modi government, we are very clear on this. Parliament’s resolution, we are very clear that PoJK is a part of India. It is part of India, it was always part of India, it will be part of India,” EAM said during a media interaction at an event in Mumbai.

“And we definitely have this intention, that one day we will end the illegal occupation of the PoK and the PoK will join with India. Now you see that the opposition is in the opposite direction,” he added.

India’s stance on PoK is based on a 1994 parliamentary resolution which states that the region is an integral part of India.

Jaishankar also criticized opposition leaders in Jammu and Kashmir like Farooq Abdullah for being afraid of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and suggesting that India should not talk about PoK.

Taking a jibe at Pakistan, Prime MInister Narendra Modi said that his government will make them wear bangles. While attacking Pakistan over a shortage of food and electricity outages, PM Modi said that he was unaware they were also short of bangles. "They want wheat and they also don't have electricity. We didn't know they don't have bangles also,” he said. 

His remark came in response to opposition leader Farooq Abdullah, who stated that “Pakistan is not wearing bangles” implying that India should be cautious in its approach towards Pakistan regarding PoK.

Modi while addressing an election rally in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, said, "These Congress and INDIA alliance people are so afraid that they see Pakistan's atom bomb even in their dreams. Can such parties and leaders run the country? They say 'Pakistan ne chudiyaan nahi pehni hai' (Pakistan is not wearing bangles). We say, 'pehna denge' (We will make them wear it.)," he said. 

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has deployed security forces in PoK to control the demonstrations which has also resulted in casualties. Mobile and internet services have been disrupted in the region as well. Reportedly, one police officer was killed and around 90 others were injured in the clashes in Mirpur and other parts of PoK. 

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a high-level meeting to address the ongoing situation in PoK, as negotiations between protesters and the state government reached an impasse.