NEW DELHI: A complete and crippling shutter-down and wheel-jam strike was observed as protests broke out to demonstrate against a police crackdown in Muzaffarabad, capital city of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Friday.
A report in The Dawn published from Lahore in Pakistan said that Muzaffarabad witnessed confrontations between the police and some of the demonstrators in different parts of the city till this evening, involving stone-pelting and fierce teargas shelling to disperse the protestors.
The strike call was given by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee for Friday after several of its leaders and activists were arrested by police in overnight raids in different parts of Muzaffarabad and Mirpur division, The Dawn reported.
Last month, the committee had announced that people from across the state were supposed to stage a long march towards Muzaffarabad on Saturday (May 11, 2024), reports from Muzaffarabad said.
Hamid Mir, a prominent journalist from Pakistan posted video footage of protests on X handle.
The public action committee has been leading a rights movement to protest against ‘unjust’ taxes levied on electricity bills and observed a shutter-down strike for the same reason in August last year.
The movement demands that electricity should be provided to consumers in accordance with the production cost of hydel power in PoK. In December last year, it had reached an understanding with an official reconciliation committee, following which a notification was also issued by the government on February 4.
However, in April the committee had announced the long march on May 11 in protest against the “non-fulfillment of the written commitments” by the government.
Dawn.com’s correspondent reported that all businesses, including banks, remained closed, and traffic and vendors were off the roads in three districts of Muzaffarabad division.
In many parts of the state capital, clashes broke out between police and demonstrators, triggered by stone pelting by the latter. In retaliation, police resorted to teargas shelling, affecting people in homes and mosques as well.
Demonstrations were held in different parts of the city, where people vowed to carry on the struggle for their rights.
Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the top leader of the movement in Muzaffarabad, who escaped arrest on Thursday, also addressed many gatherings in the town.
A report in Pakistan Observer said that at least 70 activists have been arrested amid ‘long march’ by Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee. Agitators now called for a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on Friday.
To stop agitators, incumbent authorities called in Punjab Constabulary, FC. AJK High Court earlier called on the government to finalize an agreement with Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA) regarding the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project and other hydroelectric projects, and to seek approval under PoK’s interim constitution, Pakistan Observer reported.
The government, however, had not acted on court directives, leading to discontent among people.
Apart from the hydroelectric projects issue, the movement has highlighted concerns such as the supply of hydropower at production cost, flour subsidies, and reducing privileges for certain groups.
—–
Have you liked the news article?