Protests against inflation in PoK’s Muzaffarabad turned violent on Saturday as armed forces tried to suppress them. The protests, called by the Awami Action Committee, were sparked by nocturnal police raids that resulted in the detention of numerous leaders and activists. The protesters demanded tax-free energy from the Mangla Dam and wheat flour subsidies. Protesters say that people in PoK and Gilgit Baltistan do not have food, flour and pulses, and power cuts are at their peak. The uprising against the local government is a significant development in the region. During the demonstration, clashes broke out between law officials and protesters in Muzaffarabad, Dadyal, Mirpur, and other areas of PoK.
“This is Muzaffarabad today. Thousands of Kashmiris violated the old colonial black law section 144. They came out from their homes on feet. No transport was used due to the wheel jam strike. They are demanding tax-free electricity from Mangla dam and subsidy on wheat flour,” said journalist Hamid Mir on Twitter as he shared visuals of protests from Friday.
This is Muzaffarabad today. Thousands of Kashmiris violated the old colonial black law section144. They came out from their homes on feet. No transport was used due to wheel jam strike. They are demanding tax free electricity from Mangla dam and subsidy on wheat flour. #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/2aNuSyP9ou
— Hamid Mir حامد میر (@HamidMirPAK) May 10, 2024
“We peacefully are demanding our basic rights, like subsidies on flour and wheat. However, the protests suppressed by the Pakistani defence personnel resulted in shelling and baton charges. This led to several protestors getting severely injured and harassment of the local people,” a local leader in the protest said.
Hundreds of Frontier Corps soldiers entered, sparking a violent conflict between protestors and Pakistani authorities that culminated in the detention of 18 protestors. Reports also indicate tear gas shell firings on school students in Mirpur. Denouncing the state brutality, rights activists decried “state-sponsored violence” by Pakistani federal authorities as a tactic to enforce Section 144 and a prelude to quell protests scheduled for May 11 outside the legislative assembly in Muzaffarabad.
A political party called the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) has strongly criticized the arrests and imposition of Article 144 in the region that is currently under illegal occupation by Pakistan. The UKPNP, which is based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has also expressed deep concern over the recent arrests of several activists, including Ali Shamriaz, and the brutal beatings and torture allegedly inflicted upon them by Pakistani authorities. The crackdown on peaceful activists and the heavy deployment of security forces have left UKPNP leaders, such as Shaukat Ali Kashmiri and Nasir Aziz Khan, disappointed. The UKPNP has called for the immediate release of all arrested activists and urged the UN and other human rights organizations to take quick action to address the deteriorating situation in PoK.
The disputed region of Kashmir has been a source of conflict between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent. Unfortunately, the human rights situation in the illegally occupied region has not received much attention, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The limited national media presence in PoK has resulted in less coverage and no significant documentation available to assess the state of human rights in the region. Recently, there have been widespread protests against the government’s decision to withdraw subsidies on wheat flour and increase electricity prices, which resulted in severe human rights violations in PoK. Activists and demonstrators were targeted and arrested, with accusations of torture in custody.
In addition, Pakistan is currently facing a serious issue of high inflation, which has been made worse by the strict conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund while approving a $3-billion financial assistance package. Furthermore, the recent hike in electricity rates has compounded the problem, leading to widespread protests and unrest in several places.
Team BharatShakti
