NEW DELHI: As unrest intensified in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the region’s ongoing elections, former Indian envoy to Ukraine Vidya Bhushan Soni said the protests reflected growing frustration among people over Pakistan’s failure to address its economic and domestic challenges.His remarks came after Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif called people in PoK as “enemies like India”.Speaking to news agency ANI, Soni said frustration was growing in Pakistan because the country had expected to benefit by projecting itself as a mediator in international affairs and hoped that would help it secure economic assistance. “I think again there is a frustration creeping in, in Pakistan. Because they thought that they were playing the mediator role and they thought things would be fine and they would be once again back into business in terms of getting some economic aid, etc. That’s not happening,” he said.Soni said several groups opposed to the Pakistani government, including Baloch groups and people in PoK, were now putting pressure on Islamabad because they believed the country had reached a difficult position. According to him, Pakistan was more focused on projecting itself internationally as a peaceful nation than solving the problems of its own people.“They are the ones who feel that we must put the pressure because now Pakistan is pushed to the wall. And so that’s why they are coming out on the street; they are showing their frustration, they’re showing their anger, they’re showing their patience is running thin,” he said.He added that Pakistan should first address the concerns of its own citizens instead of trying to play a larger role on the global stage. “You have to do something about the people, their own people, rather than trying to go and solve the world’s problem; first you solve your own problem back home,” Soni said.Warning that the unrest was unlikely to end anytime soon, Soni alleged that Pakistan could respond by using force against its own people because its priorities remained focused on international issues. “It has consequences; it will not stop because Pakistan’s priority still continues to be international, and they will try to come down heavily through the use of force on their own people,” he said.Calling the situation in PoK particularly worrying, Soni said many residents felt their grievances were being ignored, which had deepened their frustration. “The worrisome factor right now is POK because they have seen that their case is not being heard; they are totally ignored. So I feel that it’s a frustration of their failure,” he said.Meanwhile, the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKAAC), through a series of posts on X, raised concerns over the treatment of injured people and the presence of masked individuals in civilian clothing alongside police personnel during the crackdown. “The treatment of the injured and the presence of masked individuals in civilian clothing alongside police officers raise serious concerns that require urgent scrutiny,” the group said.The committee also alleged that civilian property had been damaged during the operation, saying, “The destruction of civilian property raises serious concerns about the conduct of the security forces during the ongoing crackdown.” It further claimed that surveillance equipment had been deliberately destroyed, adding, “The deliberate destruction of surveillance equipment raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the preservation of evidence.“Calling for international attention, the JKAAC urged the United Nations, international media, diplomatic missions and human rights organisations to examine the footage from the clashes and launch an independent probe. “We call on the United Nations, international media, diplomatic missions, and international human rights organisations to examine this footage, independently verify the facts, and support an immediate, independent and impartial international investigation into the recent events in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir,” the group said.