A government decision to provide a Rs23 billion subsidy failed to calm Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK). Protests continued after three were shot dead and six injured by paramilitary Rangers in Muzaffarabad.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and AJK PM Anwarul Haq approved the subsidy for power and wheat. The flour rate dropped to Rs2,000 for 40kg, down from Rs3,100. Electricity tariffs were reduced to Rs3, Rs5, and Rs6 per unit for 100, 300, and more units, respectively. The AJK government issued notifications to appease the protesters.
Violence and Aftermath
Rangers, deployed for law and order, were expected to leave after the PM’s announcement. Instead of exiting via Brarkot, they left through Kohala. Their 19-vehicle convoy reached Muzaffarabad and faced rock-throwing. The Rangers responded with teargas and firing.
A social media clip showed three Rangers vehicles ablaze on the Muzaffarabad-Brarkot road. Entering the city, the Rangers faced more rocks and used teargas and bullets. The intense shelling affected the entire neighbourhood.
Two local elders escorted the Rangers to safety via a link road. Witnesses reported the Rangers used teargas and fired in the air elsewhere before being driven to safety.
Divisional Commissioner Muzaffarabad Sardar Adnan Khurshid confirmed three deaths and six injuries from Ranger firing. The deceased was Saqib from Plate, Waqar from Dara Batangi, and Azhar from Chehla Bandi.
After failed talks on Sunday, the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) instructed protesters to resume their march. The rallies stopped in Dhirkot, 80km from the capital until the PM’s meeting concluded.
After the subsidy announcement, JAAC leaders waited for the notifications. The AJK food department issued notifications, reducing flour to Rs2,100 for 40kg and electricity to Rs3, Rs5, and Rs6 per unit for 100, 300, and more units.
Notifications went viral, and preparations began to welcome JAAC leaders in Muzaffarabad. Some rallies clashed with police in Chattar Chowk, where police used teargas to disperse them.
JAAC Leaders’ Response
JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir addressed a gathering in Eidgah. He said their legal team would examine the notifications. The committee would decide the next steps if they did not meet legal requirements.
Mir accused the AJK government of a non-serious attitude, causing distrust. Rallies from the Poonch division continued arriving after 9:30 pm. The bodies of two victims were taken to a ground near Eidgah, where slogans were raised against the government and armed forces.
“There is tension and anger in the air,” said Adil Hameed, a Muzaffarabad resident. Reports from other AJK towns indicated demonstrations against the Muzaffarabad killings.
AJK PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq thanked PM Shehbaz for the Rs23 billion relief package. He noted that long-pending issues were resolved quickly on the Prime Minister’s instructions. The relief will be included in the next budget.
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