Protest in Azad Kashmir: 8 people including three police personnel killed
MUZAFFARABAD ( WEB NEWS )
During the protest led by the Awami Action Committee in Azad Kashmir on Wednesday, violent clashes left eight people dead, including three police personnel, while dozens were injured. The protests have disrupted life across the state, with multiple clashes between law enforcement agencies and demonstrators reported in various areas.
Three policemen, including an ASI, were killed in Dheerkot. In separate clashes between police and protesters, two civilians were killed in Muzaffarabad, two in Dheerkot, and one in Dadyal. Two killed constables Khursheed and Jamil belong to Bagh district and one killed constable Tahir Rafi belonged to Muzzaffarabad district. Several others were injured, and the death toll is feared to rise. Following the Awami Action Committee’s call, protesters have begun marching toward the state capital, Muzaffarabad. Demonstrators from other districts, including those from Poonch and Mirpur divisions, are also marching toward the capital.
A day earlier, Azad Kashmir’s Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore had invited the Action Committee to dialogue on behalf of the government, but no talks have yet taken place. The Awami Action Committee has been on strike since September 29, demanding approval of its 38-point charter of demands. On the very first day of the protest in Muzaffarabad, one civilian had been killed. Among the major demands in the 38-point charter are the abolition of 12 reserved seats in the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly for refugees settled in Pakistan and a reduction in privileges for the elite.
A few days ago, on the instructions of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Maqam and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry visited Muzaffarabad to hold talks with Action Committee representatives, but the negotiations failed. According to Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, most of the major demands had been accepted, but abolishing the 12 reserved seats was not within their authority. He clarified that abolishing the seats, reducing the number of ministries, and ending perks could only be done through legislation in the Azad Kashmir Assembly.
Since Sunday evening, mobile and internet services in Azad Jammu and Kashmir have remained suspended, making communication difficult for the public. This is not the first time the Action Committee has staged protests to push its demands. In May 2024, protests led to a reduction in wheat flour and electricity prices, after which the Government of Pakistan released a special grant of 23 billion rupees to the Azad Kashmir government. Currently, domestic consumers in Azad Kashmir are paying Rs. 3 per unit for electricity, while a 40-kg bag of flour costs Rs. 2,000.
In December 2024, another protest led to an 11-point agreement between the Action Committee and the government, which both parties signed, but the government failed to implement it. Political parties in Azad Kashmir, including PML-N, Muslim Conference, PPP, Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party, and Jamaat-e-Islami, have instructed their workers to stay away from the Action Committee protests, while PTI has announced its support for the Joint Awami Action Committee’s protest.