Violent clashes broke out in parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) on Saturday, with police cracking down on protestors in Muzaffarabad.
Tensions remain high in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as normal life and business were disrupted after clashes broke out between protesters and security forces, reports Hindustan Times.
Markets, schools and offices remained closed for the second straight day in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after bouts of violence erupted in Muzaffarabad.
The Awami Action Committee (AAC) carried out protests in parts of PoK against inflation on Friday, which led to a massive crackdown by Pakistani security forces, reported local media.
A wheel-jam and shutter-down strike in Muzaffarabad brought the city to a standstill on May 10, with the AAC vowing to carry out more protests against the disruption of their peaceful demonstrations.
On Friday, the AAC called for a peaceful protest against high taxes, electricity bills and the sudden rise in inflation. Clashes erupted when the police resorted to tear gas shelling around peoples' homes and mosques, the Dawn reported.
This led to strikes being called across multiple parts of PoK such as Samahni, Sehansa, Mirpur, Rawalakot, Khuiratta, Tattapani, and Hattian Bala.
On Friday, the Awami Action Committee led a series of peaceful marches to PoK's Muzaffarabad, protesting against “unjust” taxes imposed on electricity bills, which led to skyrocketing inflation. The protests soon turned violent when demonstrators and the police clashed near Islam Garh, reported Geo News.
The AAC called for a shutter-down and wheel-jam protest in Muzaffarabad, leading to a standstill in business. Police put barricades across roads leading to the city to stop the marchers, which led to clashes.
The committee later called for a strike on Saturday when the police arrested multiple leaders and activists during overnight raids.
While the PoK government imposed Section 144 in the area, shutting down educational institutes and offices on May 10 and 11, people came out in thousands on Saturday in all the districts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Videos and photos on social media showed police using their batons on protestors, attempting to disperse the crowd using tear gas. Geo News reported that dozens of police personnel and protestors were left injured on Friday after violent clashes.
PoK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza said Pakistani forces are shooting at unarmed civilians, and at least two have been killed in the clashes, reported ANI. He also said one police SHO was killed in the violence, reportedly lynched by protesters.
Mirza called for an intervention by the Indian government, saying that the situation is getting out of hand and the Centre “cannot remain aloof.” He said, “Situation is getting out of hand. It already is actually out of hand.
India now should focus all its attention on Pakistani-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and help and facilitate the independence of this occupied territory, including Gilgit-Baltistan.”
‘POK a part of India’
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday asserted that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is a part of India and said that every Indian political party was committed to ensuring that POK returns to India.
During an interaction with students of Gargi College, New Delhi, Jaishankar said, "All I can say about POK is that there a Parliament resolution...every political party of this country is committed to ensuring that POK, which is a part of India, returns to India. That is our national commitment."
Citing the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Jaishankar said that people earlier assumed that Article 370 could not be changed as the politics of the day had driven it deeply into the public consciousness, reports India Today.
"People just assume (Article) 370 cannot be changed and this is something we have to accept because the politics of the day have driven it very deeply into public consciousness. Now we see, once we change it then the entire ground situation changes," Jaishankar said.
He also asserted that the scrapping of Article 370 in August 2019 paved the way for people to think about the issue of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as well.
"Because we have finally taken the right decision of Article 370, the POK issue has come to the front of people's thinking. The first pre-requisite for something happening is that it should be in your thoughts," Jaishankar said.
