Protests in PoJK called off relief package demand met; 3 killed in clashes

After several days of intense protests and violence which led to the death of three people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the protestors on Tuesday announced to call off the protests after the Pakistan government accepted their demands and announced a huge relief package, ARY News reported.

This comes as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a Pakistan currency (PKR) 23 billion subsidy package for the people of PoJK.

“The government accepted all the demands of the protesters yesterday,” the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) said in a statement. However, the JAAC said a state-wide shutter down will be observed till 3 pm on Tuesday to honour the people who were killed in the protests.

Highlighting the notification of the constitution of a judicial commission on the issue of perks and privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the JAAC representative said that all those arrested during the protests would be freed as well and the cases registered against the demonstrators would be annulled.

According to Geo News, JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir expressed gratitude to PM Shehbaz for accepting the demands they had been asking for more than a year.

“[Our protest] movement had three basic demands [which were] cheap flour, cheap electricity and the abolition of privileges for the elite [class],” Mir said.

The alliance’s head, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, also demanded the government give financial compensation to the families of three protesters and a police official who were killed in the violence, ARY News reported.

It is pertinent to mention here that PoJK witnessed violent clashes between the police and activists of a rights movement amid a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike across the territory, which left at least three people dead and several others injured, ARY News reported.

At least a man was killed and two others were injured as clashes between the protestors and law enforcement agencies once again erupted in Muzaffarabad on Monday.

During the clashes, the cop was also killed while several others were injured.

On Monday, PM Shehbaz announced a Rs 23 billion subsidy package for the AJK during a high-level meeting convened in relation to the turmoil in the valley. The price of wheat flour had been reduced by PKR 1100 per 40 kg bag, from PKR 3100 to PKR 2000.

Additionally, the government also approved a reduction in electricity prices, ARY News reported.

As per the notification, domestic consumers using up to 100 units will be charged PKR 3 per unit, while those using 101-300 units will be charged PKR 5 per unit. Consumers using more than 300 units will be charged PKR 6 per unit.

Industrial consumers using up to 300 units will be charged PKR 10 per unit, while those using more than 300 units will be charged PKR 15 per unit.