MUZAFFARABAD: A day after Prime Minsiter Shehbaz Sharif announced provision of grant for relief package against inflation, the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) called off the ongoing protests in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir (PAK) on Tuesday.
“The shutter-down strike is being called off […] the government accepted all the demands of the protesters yesterday,” a JAAC representative said while referring to the government’s announcement of a Rs 1,100 per 40 kg reduction in wheat prices along with the provision of electricity at production cost in PAK.
He also announced that a state-wide shutter down will be observed till 3.00 PM 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, all major Pakistani newspapers reported.
Speaking 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 while lamenting the suspension of internet services which, according to him, prevented the news of successful talks from reaching the protesters, Geo News said.
Earlier in the day, the JAAC had announced observing “Black Day” to honour the three people, who had died in clashes with the law enforcement agencies which saw dozens of people being injured along with the death of a policeman during the four-day protests, which began on Thursday, May 9, 2024.
The committee had also announced funeral prayers for the deceased will be held at 2.00 PM at the University Ground in Muzaffarabad Tuesday.
The demonstrations continued for the fourth consecutive day on Monday despite the federal and PAK governments’ announcement of accepting all the demands of the protesters.
A day earlier, PM Shehbaz announced a Rs 23 billion subsidy package for the PAK during a high-level meeting convened about the turmoil in the valley after negotiations between the PAK government and the AAC ended in a deadlock.
Following the failed meeting, PAK PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq announced the issuance of the notification regarding subsidies for power and food commodities and hoped that peace would be restored in the region after the implementation of the much-anticipated notifications.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PAK PM clarified that neither the government had intentions to disrupt the peaceful struggle of the PAK people nor would it try to impact any such struggle in future.
Chaudhary also reassured that the notification would come into effect immediately and that it was a permanent arrangement which would be part of the forthcoming budget for financial year 2024-25.
As per the notification, the flour price has been reduced from Rs 3,100 to Rs 2,000 per 40 kilogrammes.
Subsequently, electricity prices will be Rs 3 per unit for usage between 1-100 units, Rs 5 per unit for usage between 100-300 units and Rs 6 per unit for the 300-above slab.
Commercial rates of electricity have been fixed at Rs 10 per unit for 1-300 unit slab and for the slab of 300 or above, the rate has been fixed at Rs 15 per unit.
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