Ever Since Home Minister Amit Shah announced the abrogation of Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, scattered skirmishes have been reported from the Valley. Several Pakistanis have also joined the rhetoric, condemning the Indian government for the way it has been tackling the issue by introducing a lockdown. While most of these people turned out to be keyboard activists, often spreading fake news on violence in Kashmir, a group of Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals decided to make their voices audible beyond the reaches of social media.

According to an India Today report, the authorities of the Gulf nation of Bahrain took punitive action against the Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals on August 12 after they had held a protest rally over the Kashmir issue on August 11. Some nationals of the South Asian countries came together in Bahrain to protest against the decision taken by the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre to divide Kashmir into two union territories.



Capital Police: legal proceedings were taken against some Asians for gathering in a way that violated the law after Eid prayer. The case referred to the Public Prosecution. It urges citizens and residents to not politically exploit religious occasions.

— Ministry of Interior (@moi_bahrain) August 12, 2019

The protestors were arrested for holding the rally illegally in Bahrain after attending Eid prayers. The official Twitter handle of the country’s Interior Ministry tweeted about the action taken by the local police to contain the protests and also about the legal proceedings being taken against them. Bahrain authorities further requested its citizens to not exploit religious gatherings to further political motives.

The punitive action was taken against the protestors only days after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had got in touch with Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the King of Bahrain, to apprise him of the current situation in Kashmir.

As per a statement issued by the Pak PM’s office, the King of Bahrain assured that his government was “closely monitoring the developments in Kashmir with deep concern”.