PoJK: Joint Awami Action Committee protests against government following new ordinance, many injured

Joint Awami Action Committee core member Shaukat Nawaz Mir has condemned the attack of police on the protestors and the residents after raising their voices against the controversial presidential ordinance which blocks all political rallies, gatherings, and protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Nawaz Mir lamented that the police tried to curb the members of the Joint Awami Action Committee by using violent measures. He said,” Our core members have sustained injuries after the police used tear gas and attempted lathi charge on them.”

He further stated that the committee would lodge an FIR against the Deputy commissioners, SSP and Assistant commissioner of Kotli for using different methods of violence against the protesters.

He criticised the government for its involvement in this violence and warned that the protest would continue till the revocation of the “black bill”.

On the other hand, the human rights activist Amjad Ayub Mirza condemned the attack by the police and stated, “PoJK is in revolt, again and protests have spread from Rawalakot to Kotli. Protesters control the streets tonight. Police are on the run. Fresh police contingents are expected to arrive from Punjab at any time”.

The residents also accused the government of creating a terror-like situation in the region. A resident while talking to a reporter said, “It is a clear failure of the government that police are using tear gas and stones to curb our voices against the black bill.”

Another resident accused Army Chief Asim Munir and said that they would continue the protest as they were not afraid of any violence used by the Pakistan police. The businessmen of the region also warned that they would not open their shops till the ordinance was revoked by the government.

Recently, Mirza told ANI that protests have erupted across PoJK since the issuance of the ordinance, with the most recent demonstration taking place on November 19 in Rawalakot, Poonch division. The protest turned violent when police used tear gas and assaulted peaceful demonstrators.

The controversial ordinance stated that to protest publicly one has to seek permission from the administration. The Deputy Commissioner of PoJK was given extensive new powers, which included the prerogative to award a maximum of three years’ imprisonment for people who offend against the procedures set out by the ordinance. The ordinance also permits the designation of any area governor to declare any area as a “Red Zone”.