May 11th 2024.
The city of Muzaffarabad is in turmoil as a violent confrontation between local police authorities and protesters has led to a two-day holiday being declared in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The protesters are outraged over what they view as unfair taxes on electricity bills and rising inflation, and their protest has been met with force from the police.
The protest, organized by the Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, was announced for Friday and Saturday. However, the police response has only added fuel to the fire, with reports of arrests and crackdowns on protesters and their leaders. On Friday, the streets were filled with violent scenes of stone pelting and tear gas shelling.
The following day, a complete shutdown of the city was observed as the protesters called for a rally towards Muzaffarabad, the seat of the legislative government in PoK. "There will be a complete shutdown and strike across PoK, especially in Muzaffarabad, to protest against the police brutality towards our peaceful protesters in Dadyal on Friday," announced Saukat Nawaz Mir, Chairman of the Traders Association and member of the Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee. He urged everyone to join in and raise their voices for their rights.
Videos of locals demanding freedom from the Pakistani establishment have gone viral on social media, highlighting the intense sentiment of the protesters. The People's Action Committee has been consistently protesting against the government's policies, including taxes, inflation, and electricity outages, through strikes and rallies. Last August, they staged a similar protest.
According to Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the committee's main demand is for electricity to be provided to consumers at a fair cost based on the production of hydel power in the region. This demand was initially met in February when an agreement was reached and a notification was issued by the government. However, the committee claims that the government has not fulfilled its written commitments, leading to their protest this month.
The call for protest and a long march towards Muzaffarabad has been actively and positively responded to by the people, with all businesses, banks, and markets closed. Traffic and vendors are also off the roads in at least three districts of Muzaffarabad. "The police's use of tear gas has greatly affected the people, but it will not stop us from demanding our rights," stated Shaukat Nawaz Mir, determined to see their demands met.
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