ISLAMABAD: Islamabad is monitoring the situation after “extremely disturbing” protests in Ladakh area of the disputed Kashmir region that is split between Pakistan and India, the Pakistani foreign office said on Friday.
The statement came hours after Indian police detained prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk over violent protests in the Himalayan territory of Ladakh that left at least five people dead, a lawyer said.
Demonstrations demanding greater political autonomy for the sparsely populated, high-altitude region bordering China and Pakistan turned deadly on Wednesday when security forces opened fire.
New Delhi blamed the unrest on “provocative speeches” by Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike demanding either full federal statehood for Ladakh or constitutional protections for its tribal communities, land and fragile environment.
“We are monitoring the situation,” the Pakistani foreign office said, describing the developments that unfolded in Ladakh as “extremely disturbing.”
“They demonstrate the Indian authorities’ willingness to go to any extent to curb a protest. They are also another manifestation of India’s iron-fisted approach in that occupied territory.”
The Himalayan territory of Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both sides claim it in full but rule in part and have fought multiple wars over the region.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government split Ladakh off from Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019, imposing direct rule on both. New Delhi has yet to fulfil its promise to include Ladakh in the “Sixth Schedule” of India’s constitution, which allows people to make their own laws and policies.
India’s army maintains a large presence in Ladakh, which includes disputed border areas with China. Troops from the two countries clashed there in 2020, killing at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
Mustafa Hajji, a lawyer for the Apex Body Leh that is spearheading the protests, told AFP that Wangchuk was “picked up” by the police from his village of Uley Tokpo on Friday.
“Charges against him are not known yet,” Hajji said.
An engineer by training, Wangchuk, 59, is best known for pioneering water conservation projects in the Himalayas. He received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018 for his environmental work and contributions to reforming local schooling in Ladakh.
Wangchuk, who is a vocal advocate for Ladakh’s environmental protection and tribal rights, was briefly detained by Delhi Police last year during a protest march. Indian authorities on Thursday canceled his non-profit’s foreign funding license.
