A shutter-down strike called by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee has paralysed transport and business across Pakistan-administered Kashmir, even as the protest camp near Rawalakot visibly thins and the government rules out talks.
A shutter-down strike and protest sit-ins entered their seventh consecutive day across Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, with inter-city and intra-city public transport remaining suspended in towns including Muzaffarabad, Dawn reported. The agitation was called by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which the regional government banned earlier this month, according to Arab News.
The standoff near Rawalakot appeared to be winding down. Officials said the days-long gathering at the Eidgah ground had visibly shrunk, with most participants from outlying areas having left and remaining crowds made up largely of local residents, Dawn reported. The Daily Parliament Times said the situation across the region remained largely peaceful, with women staging demonstrations carrying white flags in Sehnsa, Sarsawa and Panjera.
The prolonged suspension of internet and mobile services has compounded residents’ hardships, disrupting banking operations and leaving many unable to access cash, according to Dawn. The Daily Parliament Times reported road blockades at key entry points halting freight vehicles and warned of potential food shortages if restrictions persist, with police and Rangers conducting flag marches on highways.
At the heart of the unrest is JAAC’s demand for the abolition of 12 “refugee seats” in the AJK Legislative Assembly reserved for people who migrated from Indian-administered Kashmir, along with broader political rights, Arab News reported, citing the Associated Press. Regional Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore was quoted as saying he remained open to talks and that the government had accepted most of the committee’s demands in earlier negotiations, except those requiring a constitutional amendment.
Despite that, authorities have hardened their stance toward the proscribed group. Officials told Dawn that law enforcement personnel had “only engaged armed activists” and ruled out negotiations, saying members must either surrender or face legal action. The same report said the AJK Legislative Assembly is scheduled to meet on June 18.
The crackdown drew international criticism after clashes earlier this month. Amnesty International called the JAAC’s terrorism designation “disproportionate, unlawful and a violation of the right to freedom of association,” and urged authorities to use force only as a last resort and in line with principles of necessity and proportionality.
Amnesty said at least eight protesters and four police officers were killed, with 50 protesters and 23 police officers injured, in clashes around June 7, figures it attributed to information from Rawalakot’s Combined Military Hospital. Arab News, citing the Associated Press, separately reported that seven people died in the Sunday clashes in Rawalakot. Casualty counts remain disputed and the internet blackout has hampered independent verification.
