Former terrorist Hashim Qureshi backs protests in PoK, says Pakistani forces are no better than British colonialists

Former terrorist Hashim Qureshi, who was the man who hijacked Indian Airlines plane Ganga in 1971 and took it to Pakistan for which he was jailed and severely tortured, has come out strongly against Pakistan after CNN-IBN showed videos of massive brutality in PoK.

Reacting to the video showcasing Pakistan government's brutality in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Qureshi said that what is seen in the video is not shocking for him as he has endured those hardships.

"It is not shocking for me because I've been through the atrocities and the people are still going through them. Pakistan only talks about issues which are prevalent in Indian part of Kashmir. Pakistani security forces are no better than the British colonialists," Qureshi said.

"When Maharaja Harish Singh was ruler of Kashmir, Ansara Singh was the Governor, when the rebellion happened, there was a Pakistan Colonel in Gilgit, Balochistan who captured Ansara Singh. When Pakistan got Gilgit in PoK, they used the same laws that were there during British times and used them to suppress people's voices there," he said.

He also said that Pakistan is not doing anything for the development of the region. "The PoK region is very rich in resources. Pakistan has no role to play in the prosperity of people in Azad Kashmir. The prosperity is due to the Middle East, England where people from Azad Kashmir can go. Till today Pakistan has built no factory in Azad Kashmir, provided no employment opportunities," he said.

Speaking about the oppression in PoK, he said, "Pakistan suppresses rebellion, freedom of speech is curbed, several books are banned, press are shut down and their people arrested."

He also praised India for its efforts to obtain and retain Kashmir in a democratic way. "In India, books against the India are also allowed to be published. There are some authors who even distort dates etc in their books, even those books aren't banned. I myself have published 5 or 6 books, some of which are critical of Indian democracy, but I have never been silenced in a manner that authors in PoK are controlled," he said.