Post-Pahalgam Terror Attack | PoK Back In Focus: History, J&K Division Explained

PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) has once again come into limelight. Post Pahalgam terror attack, the tensions between India and Pakistan are raising the question: Who does PoK belongs to? With growing public and political calls to reclaim PoK. Tracing back in the history, the story starts with the independence of India in 1947 when Jammu and Kashmir was the largest among the 562 princely states. As per the Indian Independence Act 1947, the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh was given the option either to join Pakistan or India during the partition. But the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir agreed to have a Standstill Agreement with both India and Pakistan and to postpone making a decision regarding the issue of accession on 12 August, 1947. However, the state only signed a Standstill Agreement with Pakistan. The Indian government refused to sign any agreement. Other than Pak Occupied Kashmir, In 1963 Shaksgam Valley region located in PoK was captured by China under a boundary agreement with Pakistan known as Sino-Pak agreement.