3 weeks ago
Pakistan turns to overseas lobbyists to suppress PoK protest narrative
This news is about a disagreement between two countries, India and Pakistan, over a region called Kashmir.
Some people in the part of Kashmir that Pakistan controls have been protesting for almost two months.
They say the people living there are being treated badly.
Officials from India say about 40 people have died and many others have gone missing during these protests.
People in the area cannot use their phones or the internet, so it is hard to know exactly what is happening.
India says Pakistan is paying people in other countries to tell a different story about the protests.
These people are called lobbyists or pressure groups, and their job is to make Pakistan look good and India look bad.
Pakistan also wants people around the world to pay less attention to problems in other parts of Pakistan, like Balochistan.
India is worried that the rest of the world is not paying enough attention to the protests.
This article is based only on what Indian officials say, so it is one side of the story.
Pakistan has reportedly asked its overseas pressure groups and lobbyists to prevent the nearly two-month-old protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) from gaining international attention.
Around 40 people have been killed since the protests began, and an unknown number of forced disappearances have been reported.
A strict ban on mobile communication and internet use in PoK has limited information about the situation.
Indian officials allege Pakistan is investing in individuals abroad to build an anti-India narrative, win over foreign lawmakers, and deflect attention from terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Pakistan is also seeking to keep international attention away from unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and faces pressure from China over attacks on Chinese-built infrastructure in Balochistan.
- Who
- Indian Intelligence Bureau and other officials in New Delhi, who allege Pakistan is using overseas lobby networks to manage the international narrative.
- What
- Pakistan is reportedly mobilizing its overseas pressure groups and lobbyists to suppress international attention on the ongoing protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
- Where
- Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with the narrative-control efforts focused on international platforms; the report originates from New Delhi.
- When
- The protests in PoK have continued for nearly two months, with the article reporting recent developments.
- Why
- To prevent the unrest from gaining international prominence, protect Pakistan's image, secure international funding, and deflect attention from alleged atrocities and the activities of terror outfits.
Key facts
- Reported from
- New Delhi
- Duration of protests
- Nearly two months
- Reported deaths
- Around 40 persons since protests began
- Forced disappearances
- Unknown number
- Communication restrictions
- Strict ban on mobile communication and internet use in PoK
- Pakistan's strategy
- Use of businessmen, lobbyists, personal networks, and political intermediaries instead of embassies and diplomats
- Regions of concern
- Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
- China's stake
- Substantial Chinese investments; Chinese-built infrastructure in Balochistan hit by attacks in recent years
Quotes
Unnamed Pakistani intelligence official
Pakistani intelligence bureau official
“The Pakistani establishment does not even want its own people to know the extent of the atrocities committed by its security forces.”
thehansindia.com
“The same people are now being told to cover up the atrocities that are taking place in PoK.”
thehansindia.com










