MUZAFFARABAD/ISLAMABAD:
At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed after violence erupted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on the third day of a general strike called by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for reforms and public facilities in the region, officials said on Wednesday.
According to media reports, business and other activities remained shut in AJK because of the strike amid a communications blackout, while incidents of violence took place in Dhir Kot and other areas. The AJK government said 172 policemen and 50 civilians had also sustained injuries in the clashes.
The AJK government said in a statement that the authorities were working to restore order and urged the public not to be misled by what they described as propaganda and “fake news” circulating on social media under a “specific agenda.”
Led by JAAC central leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the strike brought Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Poonch, Neelum, Bhimber and Palandri to a standstill. Markets were closed, roads were blocked, and internet services were restricted across much of Muzaffarabad, except in areas bordering Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
According to reports, three policemen were killed and nine others injured during an attack carried out by armed men belonging to the JAAC in Dhir Kot. The martyred policemen were identified as Constable Khurshid and Constable Jameel, both from Bagh, and Constable Tahir Rafi from Muzaffarabad.
The JAAC, which organised the strike and protests, has laid down a wide-ranging charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, and the scrapping of the quota system.
the committee’s other demands include free and uniform education across the territory, free healthcare facilities, reforms in the judicial framework of AJK, and the establishment of an international airport.
Officials noted that both the Pakistan government and the AJK government had already accepted a majority of the JAAC’s demands during earlier rounds of negotiations. However, talks eventually collapsed when agreement could not be reached on a few remaining issues.
This prompted the JAAC to call for protests and a strike, which entered its third consecutive day on Wednesday. Business activity across AJK remains severely disrupted, while all entry points linking Kashmir with Pakistan have been sealed by the protesters.
Reports from various towns indicate sporadic but intense clashes between protesters and police forces, with demonstrations frequently turning violent. Officials said that in several incidents, demonstrators opened fire on police personnel.
Residents described shuttered markets, deserted roads, and a tense atmosphere across Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, and other key towns. Commercial activity has ground to a halt, further worsening the economic difficulties in the region.
Amid rising tensions, AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq extended an open invitation to the JAAC leadership for renewed talks. He said the JAAC had originally announced peaceful demonstrations, but the situation had since “taken a dangerous turn.”
“Three police officials have been martyred and 10 more injured due to firing by violent demonstrators,” Haq told reporters at a joint press conference alongside Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry in Islamabad.
“It is also evident that protesters from outside AJK have joined the agitation. Had this been confined to our own people, perhaps matters would not have escalated this far,” he said. “I call on the [JAAC] leadership to come forward for dialogue. Violence will only bring bloodshed, not solutions.”
Chaudhry stressed that the government was prepared to accept the “legitimate demands” of the protesters. He added that in September, 90% of the JAAC’s demands had already been agreed to, yet the committee still resorted to agitation.
Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry echoed these sentiments. He confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had mandated him, along with Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Engr Amir Muqam, to engage directly with the JAAC leadership in Muzaffarabad.
He clarified that only two issues remained unresolved – the abolition of refugee assembly seats and a reduction in the number of ministers – both of which required constitutional amendments and could not be implemented immediately.
Prime Minister Haq voiced grief over the loss of lives, saying: “Provoking people through civilian groups leads only to anarchy and needless tragedy. Taking one life is like taking the life of all humanity. We must avoid a path that brings more bloodshed.”
According to the AJK government statement, 172 police officers were injured in the ongoing violent protests, including 12 critically, while 50 civilians were also wounded. It appealed to the public to refrain from violence.
(WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)
