Deep-Rooted Distrust — The Pakistan Army’s long-standing belief that “Kashmiris cannot be trusted” originated from the failures of the 1947 and 1965 operations in Kashmir, where locals did not support Pakistani infiltrators as expected.

Historical and Ongoing Repression — This perception has shaped Pakistan’s repressive policies in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), including heavy surveillance, branding of dissenters as “Indian agents,” and brutal crackdowns on peaceful protests.

Current Crisis in PoJK — The region is witnessing growing alienation and human rights abuses under the military, with organizations like JKJAAC being suppressed, while the international community remains largely silent.

Officers from the defence forces of several friendly foreign countries attend various military courses in Indian defence training establishments and the author had an opportunity to attend one such course in the late 80s. Some nations that have cordial relations with both India and Pakistan send their officers to both countries and so it’s not uncommon to find an officer who has attended a military course in Pakistan attending another one in India.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars and relations between them remain strained. It’s therefore evident that before their arrival, foreign officers attending courses in India or Pakistan are instructed to respect the sensitivities of the host nation and not say anything that could adversely impact cordial relations, and needless to say, the officers implicitly follow this directive. 

So, when a foreign officer in my ‘syndicate’ [class] asked me whether I had served in Kashmir, I expected him to ask me something about anti-terrorist operations there and in anticipation, mentally framed an answer that to my mind would neither sound like a curt rebuff nor provide him any ‘classified’ information. However, I was taken aback when he asked me whether it was true that “Kashmiris could never be trusted?” 

My instinctive response was, “who told you so?” 

The officer said that he had heard the “Kashmiris just can’t be trusted” refrain so often during private discussions........

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