Unrest Escalates in Azad Kashmir as Protesters Demand Reform
Unrest Escalates in Azad Kashmir as Protesters Demand Reform
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Widespread protests have erupted across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) following local discontent over subsides and governance, prompting legal clashes and renewed calls for structural reform.
Initially triggered by demands for wheat and electricity aid, the demonstrations have evolved into a broader political challenge against regional authorities, as reported by JURIST.
The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) led protests in cities from Muzaffarabad to Kotli, Rawalakot, and Mirpur, issuing a 38-point charter of demands. These include restoring subsidies on essential goods, lowering electricity tariffs, improving health and education services, cutting the size of the ministerial cabinet, and removing reserved legislative seats for Kashmiri refugees, which many locals view as distorting representation.
Clashes between protestors and security forces left at least nine people dead, including both civilians and police, and more than 200 injured. The unrest disrupted daily life, leading to blackouts in communications and suspension of movement in several districts.
Under mounting pressure, the AJK government agreed to talks mediated by Islamabad. A ceasefire deal was reached, promising rollbacks on power tariffs, renewed wheat subsidies, and the formation of an independent judicial commission to investigate protest-related deaths. However, many activists remain skeptical, warning that promises—rather than enforcement—often mark the end of similar pacts.
Legal intervention followed: AJK’s High Court ruled that peaceful protests are constitutionally protected, curbing prior use of emergency measures like Section 144 to ban assemblies. Also in contention is the demand to abolish refugee-reserved seats, which critics argue entrench Islamabad’s influence in local politics.
The protests reflect enduring grievances over economic neglect and political control in AJK. While calm has returned to many cities, the durability of peace will depend on whether authorities fulfill their commitments—or whether disillusioned groups resume mobilization with even greater fervor.
