In an interview to German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Pakistan PM Imran Khan Niazi said he was ready to hold a referendum in PoK. 'Let the people decide whether they want to remain with Pakistan or to be independent'. 'Ready to invite international observers from all over the world so that they can visit PoK'

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he is willing to hold a referendum in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) saying “let the people decide whether they want to remain with Pakistan or to be independent”.

PM Khan gave this statement in an interview to German state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

Claiming that PoK holds free and fair elections and elects its own government, Niazi said he is ready to invite international observers from all over the world so that they can visit there. However, truth be told, as per the 1974 constitution of PoK Azad, anyone who wants to contest in the local polls has to support Kashmir’s union with Pakistan and sign a “pledge of loyalty to Pakistan”. People who demand independence routinely face persecution.

In 2016 massive protests broke out all over PoK against rigged elections with thousands of people taking to the streets demanding “Azadi” from Pakistan and its brutal military establishment.

Last year, Imran Khan was humiliated during his visit to Muzaffarabad in PoK when people greeted him with chants of “Go Niazi Go Back” and “Kashmir Banega Hindustan”.

Khan was supposed to address Kashmir "solidarity" rally too but the event did not receive support from the locals.

Recently, Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane had said that if the Indian Army gets an order then it will take appropriate action to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The newly elected COAS gave this statement pointing out that a Parliamentary resolution clearly states that the entire Jammu and Kashmir region is a part of India.

Last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that if a dialogue takes place between Indian and Pakistan then it would be focused on PoK.

Union minister Jitendra Singh also slammed Pakistan for “illegal occupation” of the region saying: “We are lucky that revocation of the special status of J&K happened in our lifetime. It is because of the sacrifices of our three generations. Let us pray that we see the integration of PoK with the country and people freely visit Muzaffarabad (capital of PoK).”

He further said that the Centre’s next agenda was retrieving parts of PoK and making the region territory of India.