ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed grave concern over the ongoing situation in Leh, where Indian security forces have killed at least four Ladakhi protesters demanding statehood for the region, unilaterally stripped of its status by the Modi-led government in 2019.
Responding to media queries on Friday, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shafqat Ali Khan, said that Islamabad is closely monitoring developments in the region and finds the reports of violence against peaceful protestors “extremely disturbing.”
“The developments that unfolded in Leh, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, are extremely disturbing. They demonstrate the Indian authorities’ willingness to go to any extent to curb a protest,” Khan said.
Describing the incident as another manifestation of India’s “iron-fisted approach” in the occupied territory, he said the Himalayan region of Ladakh is already a sensitive flashpoint between India and China. It witnessed its deadliest protest on Wednesday as Gen Z-led demonstrations turned violent in the capital, Leh.
Protesters torched the regional office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leading to clashes with police that left at least four demonstrators dead and dozens injured.
Authorities also confirmed that dozens of security personnel were wounded.
For six years, Ladakhi activists have staged peaceful marches and hunger strikes demanding constitutional safeguards and statehood, arguing that New Delhi has stripped them of political representation since 2019.
But Wednesday marked a break from that tradition when youth groups, frustrated over the government’s delay in talks, stormed official buildings after a hunger strike entered its 15th day.
