Ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has exposed a fundamental contradiction at the heart of Islamabad's long-standing Kashmir narrative on global platforms, according to a report by the International Centre for Peace Studies. While Pakistan publicly champions the principle of 'self-determination' for Kashmiris, the political framework it has imposed in PoK since 1947 effectively permits only one outcome — alignment with Pakistan.

Pakistan's Narrative vs Ground Reality

For decades, Pakistan has waged an extensive propaganda campaign against India on global platforms, projecting PoK as a territory enjoying complete freedom and autonomy. The International Centre for Peace Studies report directly challenges that framing.

'It has been selling this narrative to the international community and media for decades, presenting the situation as if everything is settled and fine there, with people happy and fully satisfied, while portraying that problems exist in Jammu and Kashmir in India and using propaganda to advance this narrative. However, the reality is quite the opposite,' the report stated.

According to the report, PoK has remained politically restricted, economically neglected, and heavily dependent on Islamabad and Rawalpindi for administrative affairs since Pakistan's illegal occupation of the region in 1947.

Protests, Casualties, and Anti-Terror Laws

Mass protests against Pakistani governance have reportedly claimed more than 70 civilian lives and left over 200 others injured, according to the report. The demonstrations have now entered their second week, with authorities reportedly invoking anti-terror laws against protesters.

'Recently, around 150 protesters have been declared 'terrorists' amid the agitation. This reflects an increasingly coercive approach toward dissent, where even large-scale civilian protests over economic grievances and political rights are being framed through a security lens, further deepening repression in the region,' the report noted.

Communications Blackout and Supply Disruptions

The report further alleged that Pakistan's military-controlled state machinery has imposed a complete internet and communications blackout in PoK, severely limiting external access to information. Army-imposed restrictions have reportedly disrupted the supply of food and other essential items to residents.

'Deliberately depriving civilians of essential supplies needed for bare survival is profoundly inhumane and amounts to collective punishment of an entire population. Such actions violate fundamental humanitarian principles and raise serious concerns that they may reflect a genocidal intent, as well as potentially amount to a crime against humanity under international law,' the report stressed.

Settler Colonialism and Resource Extraction

Pakistani authorities have pursued a model of 'settler colonialism' in PoK since the outset, according to the report, keeping the region 'deliberately impoverished' while denying residents basic economic, civil, and political rights. Despite the region's abundant natural resources, the benefits are reportedly transferred to other Pakistani provinces, particularly Punjab.

The report cited electricity as a telling example: power generated within PoK is distributed elsewhere, while local residents endure heavy load shedding and high tariffs. This pattern of resource extraction, the report argued, underscores the structural disempowerment that has defined PoK's relationship with the Pakistani state for over seven decades.

Implications for Pakistan's Global Standing

The findings place Pakistan in an increasingly difficult position on the international stage, where its advocacy for Kashmiri self-determination sits in direct tension with its conduct in the territory it controls. As the protests intensify and casualty figures rise, the contradiction between Islamabad's stated principles and its actions in PoK is drawing renewed scrutiny from analysts and rights observers. How Pakistan responds to the ongoing unrest is likely to shape international perceptions of its Kashmir position in the months ahead.