Islamabad: At least three police officers were killed and dozens injured in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as the region witnessed a strike for the second consecutive day, media reports said Wednesday.
The shutdown was called by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) over its unfulfilled 38-point charter of demands. Clashes erupted as rival groups staged simultaneous protests, accusing each other of inciting violence during an otherwise peaceful demonstration.
Geo News reported that the federal government renewed its offer to negotiate with the JKJAAC. The unrest left three policemen dead and more than 100 injured, though it was unclear how many of the injured were civilians.
Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told reporters that “90 per cent of the committee’s demands have already been accepted… federal ministers stand as guarantors to ensure implementation.”
Across Muzaffarabad, shops, hotels, and commercial centres remained closed, public transport was largely absent, and classrooms were nearly empty despite schools being officially open.
The JKJAAC’s demands include ending 12 seats reserved for refugees in the Legislative Assembly and rolling back privileges of the elite. Fazal explained that some demands, such as abolishing reserved seats and reducing the number of ministers, require constitutional amendments, but the government remains open to negotiations on these points.
Chaudhry criticised the JKJAAC for resuming protests despite prior negotiations, warning that such actions would not yield results. “We do not want violence… nor do we want our enemy to benefit from it,” he said.
PoK “Prime Minister” Chaudhry Anwarul Haq echoed the call for dialogue, stressing that negotiations were the only civilised way to resolve disputes. He confirmed the deaths of three police officers and said over 100 people were injured, including eight critically. Haq also condemned incidents such as the burning of a school building during protests, noting that public rights are meaningless where human lives are lost.
Earlier, Dawn reported that at least one person had died and more than a dozen were injured in PoK on Monday during a wheel-jam strike amid a communications blackout. Mobile and internet services have been suspended since Sunday noon, with the curbs possibly continuing.
Protests were also reported in Rawalakot and Sudhnoti, while in Bhimber, a rally was led by Haq’s brother, Ehsanul Haq, associated with Imran Khan’s PTI.
Following PM Sharif’s orders, a high-level federal delegation, including ministers Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Sardar Yusuf, Ahsan Iqbal, Amir Muqam, Senator Rana Sanaullah, and former PoK President Masood Khan, visited Muzaffarabad on Thursday to engage the JKJAAC in dialogue and end the unrest.
PM Sharif expressed deep concern over the incidents and called for a transparent investigation.
