AJK Shutter-Down Strike Enters Third Day Amid Rawalakot Clashes

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has been experiencing a complete shutter-down strike for the third consecutive day. The ongoing protests were marked by a clash on Thursday between participants of a gathering organized by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and law enforcement personnel on the outskirts of Rawalakot. One person was killed and four to five others were injured during the incident.

The deceased activist was identified by fellow protesters as Sohban Arif, 32, a resident of Gorah village in Sudhnoti district. Poonch Divisional Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan stated that law enforcement personnel were dispatched in the early hours of Thursday after authorities learned of the presence of Umar Nazir Kashmiri, a core JAAC member facing sedition charges, at the gathering. According to Khan, a group of protesters confronted personnel as they were removing road obstacles, leading to an exchange of fire.

Thousands of protesters from districts including Mirpur, Bhimber, Kotli, Sudhnoti, and parts of Poonch had gathered at Eidgah Ground on the eastern outskirts of Rawalakot since Wednesday evening. Smaller groups also assembled at other locations. Witnesses reported that Umar Nazir Kashmiri delivered a speech to the gathering at Eidgah Ground, which was streamed live on social media despite the suspension of internet services across AJK since the previous Friday.

During his speech, Kashmiri reportedly indicated that negotiations with the government were possible and claimed to have submitted a six-point petition to authorities. Demands listed in the petition included the withdrawal of the Home Department notification proscribing JAAC, the return of bodies of all deceased activists and injured persons, and the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) regarding civilian killings. The petition also called for the withdrawal of paramilitary troops from urban areas and the lifting of the curfew before negotiations could begin. Kashmiri proposed that neither law enforcement personnel nor protesters should move from their current positions until these demands were met.

However, sources indicated that authorities were unwilling to grant concessions similar to those made on two previous occasions, with some suggesting JAAC was told it must surrender to the state before expecting any relief. On Thursday, the AJK Law Department withdrew four notifications, one from December 2024 and three from December 2025, which had previously recalled cases linked to protests and agitation by the JAAC from various criminal courts. This decision was reportedly made during the 41st meeting of the AJK cabinet on June 5.

Sources also clarified that while relief measures for the general public would remain, concessions previously extended to what the state termed “troublemakers” would be withdrawn. The JAAC leadership has since decided to continue peaceful sit-ins at their existing locations, citing conditions for their cessation including the release of detained activists, the return of activists' bodies, and the withdrawal of notifications proscribing the Action Committee and announcing rewards for information leading to the arrest of four core members.

The JAAC alleges that the bodies of several activists killed by law enforcement agencies have not been handed over to their families. Drones have been observed flying over Rawalakot, and law enforcement agencies have conducted flag marches across the area, with official sources not ruling out the possibility of decisive action against the protesters later in the night.

(Source: Dawn Pakistan)