Two thirds in Kashmir want independence: poll

[abdelyuuki]

Re: Two thirds in Kashmir want independence: poll

@Tasavur

You are correct in saying that a lot of those in Azad Kashmir are ethnically similar to Northern Punjabis and that Pahari is the main language spoken, but this has always been the case; it’s not due to settlers; obviously adjacent areas influence each other. It’s similar to how Laddakh and Jammu are not Kashmiri-speaking areas.

Azad Kashmir is a term incorrectly used, what is geographically the region of Azad Kashmir is actually Jammu and not Kashmir. The Vale of Kashmir is wholly Indian occupied. The people of Azad Kashmir are not Kashmiris ethnically or linguistically, they are Jammuites. Jammu and Azad Kashmir share their culture and linguistics with the Punjabis, whereas the Kashmiris share their culture and linguistics with the Shina people on Gilgit-Baltistan, both being Dardic ethnically and linguistically.

Changing the name of the Pakistani held Jammu to Azad Kashmir, whilst maintaining the Northern Areas completely separate was a deliberate move by Pakistan. It wanted to retain its border with China which it would not be able to if an independent Kashmiri state was to form, so in order to rally support for Pakistans own cause, it knew that it could wean the ethnically and linguistically similar Jammuites by deliberately keeping them separate and referring to them as Kashmiris.