At least nine Pakistani soldiers were killed and four were injured on Sunday after an army vehicle met an accident and fell into a nullah in the Shaujabad area of Bagh in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army vehicle met an accident and fell into the nullah early Sunday morning during routine military duty, reported Geo News.
"Resultantly, nine soldiers embraced shahadat while four are injured," said the ISPR.
It added that the injured have been evacuated to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Rawalpindi, reported Geo News.
It is pertinent to note that the recent move by Islamabad that seeks to transfer financial and legislative powers from the local government to the federal government of Pakistan has created widespread protest in PoK.
Moreover, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that a plan is under consideration to change the status of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and declare it as a separate province.
PoK citizens are angry over the repeated attempts by the Islamabad government to divest the region of its special power and take complete control over the administration, reported Islam Khabar.
The Pakistan government's plan is to bring in the 15th Constitutional Amendment that will transfer the financial and administrative powers of the local government to Islamabad.
There is a powerful undercurrent of discontent in the PoK region that is under Pakistan's control. Moreover, there has been an outcry that Islamabad does not take the people in PoK into confidence or consult them before taking big decisions for them, reported Islam Khabar.
PoK alleged that the Pakistan government wanted to strip them of their powers, which at present allow them to make laws according to their needs and collect taxes.
Islamabad's proposal for an amendment to the constitution will cause the region to lose its status as a self-governing entity.
People and political parties in PoK have opposed the move, which has added to the distrust between the Kashmiris and the government.
There have been clashes between protestors and security agencies. Police have registered cases against over 400 people in Kashmir.
Kashmiris have been long-suspicious about Islamabad's intentions to exploit vast reserves of natural resources the region has.
There have been repeated allegations that the Pakistan state exploits the rich forest, mining and water resources in PoK while Kashmiri people could not get any benefit.
( With inputs from ANI )
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