People in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) have come out to protest against the construction of two mega-dams by China and Pakistan on the Neelam and Jhelum rivers.
Residents of PoK have condemned the proposed construction of dams on and raising slogans by saying ‘Darya Bachao, Muzaffarabad Bachao’ (Save Rivers Save Muzaffarabad). The other slogan raised by the protesters was ‘Neelum Jhelum Behne Do, Humein Zinda Rehne Do’ which means do not stop the rivers Neelum and Jhelum and let us live.
Pakistan and China signed agreements to construct hydel projects – Azad Pattan and Kohala Hydropower in PoK region under the controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Many environmentalists have also raised concern that the construction of these dams will have a serious impact on the environment and China is not known for paying attention to such an important aspect.
The Azad Pattan Hydel Power Project would generate of 700.7 megawatts of electricity and the project has been funded by Chinese group – China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) at a whopping $1.54 billion.
People in the PoK are afraid that the dams will cause disruption in their daily lives and are not happy with the increasing Chinese presence in the area.
Kashmir still remains the number one foreign policy issue for Pakistan and since the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan has chosen every global platform to raise the Kashmir issue but it has always failed. Also, the world has now started to look at Pakistan’s atrocities against residents of PoK along with China which wants total control of this region.