The resignation of Faisal Mumtaz Rathore as Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), tendered, is a textbook case of moral escapism masquerading as conscience-driven statesmanship. In his letter addressed to the President in Muzaffarabad, Rathore speaks of “deep reflection” on the ongoing unrest and the “tragic loss of innocent lives.” He professes to hold the safety and well-being of the people as his highest priority and expresses hope for a “peaceful resolution” and “smooth constitutional transition.” Yet this abrupt departure, mere months into his tenure, reeks of evasion rather than accountability. It allows a beleaguered leader to slip away from the consequences of a deadly crackdown, leaving behind grieving families in Rawalakot while the real architects of power in Rawalpindi continue their iron-fisted control unscathed.
Rawalakot, the once-tranquil headquarters of Poonch district, has been transformed into a killing field. On June 7-8, security forces unleashed live ammunition on peaceful protesters affiliated with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), who were demanding relief from crippling electricity tariffs, galloping inflation, political marginalisation and the denial of basic rights. At least 11 civilians were killed and over 70 injured in the initial clashes. Further violence claimed 16 more lives in Rawalakot alone, with the PoK-wide death toll surpassing 50 and hundreds wounded, according to multiple reports. Women, children and the elderly joined the marches, only to face tear gas, batons and bullets. The JAAC was promptly banned, its leaders—including minors—arrested, and movement restrictions imposed across the region.
How will these killings be justified in Rawalakot’s mourning homes and Muzaffarabad’s corridors of power? Pakistan’s default narrative is already at play: branding protesters as “miscreants,” “foreign agents” or “anti-state elements” — the very rhetoric Islamabad long deployed against Kashmiris on the Indian side of the LoC. Rathore himself, prior to his resignation, had defended the use of force and alleged external interference. His exit changes nothing on the ground. It is pure escapism — a face-saving manoeuvre that buys time for the Pakistan Army to bury evidence, reshape the story and install yet another pliable figurehead. Genuine leadership would have demanded an independent probe, compensation for victims and an immediate end to excessive force. Instead, this resignation perpetuates the cycle of impunity.
This episode starkly exposes the hollowness of Pakistan’s claims over Kashmir. While Indian Jammu and Kashmir has embraced post-Article 370 normalcy — marked by surging tourism, a sharp decline in militancy, vibrant Panchayat elections and the success of Nasha Mukt campaigns — PoK remains mired in economic strangulation, demographic engineering and military dominance. Ordinary Kashmiris there, long reduced to the “Imbecillus” archetype of propaganda-induced obedience and waiting, are now stirring through these bread-and-butter protests. Their anger reflects decades of colonial-style exploitation disguised as ideological solidarity.
Rathore’s letter promises constitutional propriety, yet history is replete with similar gestures that delivered neither justice nor reform. International observers have rightly flagged the disproportionate violence. In contrast, India’s democratic framework, however imperfect, provides avenues for genuine grievance redressal. The common Kashmiri on both sides of the LoC craves peace, dignity and development — not imported militancy or staged political theatre.
As Kashmiris observe sacred nights like Shab-e-Qadr in search of divine justice, the blood of Rawalakot’s innocents demands more than rhetorical escapism. This resignation will neither heal the wounds nor silence the cries of bereaved families. It only confirms Pakistan’s enduring failure to govern its occupied territories with humanity or accountability. True resolution lies in dismantling the occupation’s farce and allowing the people’s voice to prevail.
