Tel Aviv: European writer and West Asia expert Michael Arizanti has strongly condemned the global community’s silence over the recent killings in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), accusing both world powers and Islamic nations of “shameful hypocrisy” for ignoring state violence against Kashmiri Muslims.
In a blog published in The Times of Israel, Arizanti contrasted the muted reaction to civilian deaths in PoK with the widespread outrage over Gaza, questioning why “the death of a Palestinian in Gaza is a global headline, but the death of a Kashmiri Muslim in Muzaffarabad is a footnote.”
According to him, at least 10 people were killed and over 100 injured when Pakistani forces opened fire on protesters demanding affordable electricity and flour in Muzaffarabad, Dheerkot, Rawalakot, and Mirpur. Despite curfews and a communication blackout affecting nearly 4.5 million residents, the violence has received little international coverage.
The demonstrations, led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), revolve around a 38-point charter of demands — including subsidised wheat, reduced power tariffs, free healthcare and education, political reforms, and the elimination of perks for officials. Muzaffarabad has been at the heart of the protests, with markets, shops, and transport services shut down.
“The massacre of Muslim civilians in PoK has barely stirred a whisper. The selective outrage is deafening,” Arizanti wrote, accusing both Western and Islamic nations of maintaining double standards.
He particularly criticised the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab states for their silence, despite their frequent condemnations of India over Kashmir. “The OIC, so quick to issue statements against India whenever an incident occurs in Jammu and Kashmir, has not uttered a single word about the massacre in PoK,” he wrote. “Where are the imams, the scholars, the ministers who thunder about Gaza every Friday? The hypocrisy is as transparent as it is shameful.”
Arizanti also took aim at Western nations for their silence, contrasting it with their vocal support for Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar. “The same capitals that lit up their monuments in blue and yellow to stand with Ukraine remain mute when Pakistan crushes dissent in a territory it falsely labels ‘Azad’,” he said. “Is Kashmiri blood worth less? Is Pakistani repression somehow more acceptable?”
Calling the killings a “crime against humanity,” Arizanti urged the United Nations to investigate the incident and demanded immediate action from the European Union.
“The killings in PoK are not an internal Pakistani matter—they are a crime against humanity that demands the world’s attention,” he stated.
Emphasising that PoK residents are not separatists but citizens seeking basic rights, Arizanti said their protests are driven by the need for affordable electricity, food, and fair governance. “The people of PoK are demanding electricity they can afford, wheat they can eat, and representation they can trust. They are not asking for secession, but for dignity. Yet the Pakistani state answers them with violence,” he wrote.
“Kashmiris in PoK deserve the same rights and protections that the world demands for Ukrainians, Palestinians, or any other oppressed people,” Arizanti concluded. “Their blood is not cheaper. Their cries are not quieter. They are simply unheard.”
