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PoliticsPakistan

Protests in Pakistan-held Kashmir end after aid deal offer

May 14, 2024

Pakistan's government has announced subsidies to lower the price of flour and electricity after four days of rallies in which four people were killed in clashes with police..

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Burial of slain protesters in Muzzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir
The government conceded to protesters' demands after deadly rallies in Pakistan-controlled KashmirImage: Sajjad Qayyum/AFP

Protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir ended their rallies on Tuesday after organizers accepted an aid package and price reduction measures from the government.

Pakistan and India both control part of the Himalayan region but claim it in full. It has been a major flashpoint between the two nuclear powers that have fought three wars over the territory.

Pakistan-administered Kashmir is divided into a semi-autonomous region officially known as "Azad Kashmir" and the federally administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan.

What do we know about the 'Azad Kashmir' protests?

The protests against price hikes broke out last Friday.

Nadeem Janjua, who is the deputy commissioner of regional capital Muzzaffarabad, said that three people died of gunshot wounds during clashes.

One police officer was also killed in the violence over the weekend and more than 100 were injured.

Men praying at burial of slain protesters in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Three protesters were killed in clashes with security forces, according to organizersImage: Sajjad Qayyum/AFP

On Monday, the government deployed federal paramilitary Rangers that clashed with protesters.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep concerns" over the situation on Sunday, saying that government properties had been damaged.

The Joint Awami Action Committee group said that rallies on Tuesday were called off as the government had given into their demands.

On Monday, Sharif approved $82 million worth of subsidies to provide immediate economic relief.

The head of the semi-autonomous administration in Kashmir, Anwar-ul-Haq Chaudhry, said that the funds would be used to substantially lower the price of flour and electricity.

Pakistan's economic woes

The protests against price hikes come against the backdrop of broader economic issues in the South Asian country.

Pakistan has grappled with a major financial crisis which saw blocked imports and galloping inflation. The value of Pakistan's currency, the rupee, also plummeted against the US dollar.

The decision to provide subsidies to Pakistan-administered Kashmir comes as a team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was visiting Pakistan to work on a long-term loan program.

The IMF has in the past asked Pakistan to cut subsidies and increase energy prices.

sdi/rt (AFP, Reuters, dpa)