ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday described the recent protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as “worrisome,” saying they were carried out by people who were striving for their rights democratically, though there were also elements within them whose sole objective was to destabilize the region.
The prime minister issued the statement during a daylong visit to the picturesque Himalayan territory where he held official meetings and addressed the AJK cabinet meeting in Muzaffarabad. The visit came just a few days after a massive public protest in the region resulted in four fatalities.
The unprecedented protests against price hikes broke out last Friday and spread across the semi-autonomous area under Pakistan’s administration. One police officer was killed while three protesters lost their lives in clashes taking place in different parts of the region.
“Recent days were very worrisome when a movement was going on [in Azad Kashmir],” Sharif said while addressing the AJK cabinet members. “Certainly, among those driving this movement were individuals who, with their legitimate demands, were fulfilling their duty in a democratic manner. However, it cannot be denied that there were some malicious elements whose sole purpose was to cause destruction, loss of human lives and create chaos in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.”
The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which organized the demonstrations, announced an end to the protests on Tuesday after the Sharif administration approved subsidies to provide relief to people who objected to the increase in flour prices and electricity tariffs.
“We tried to resolve the issue in the best possible way and with urgency by meeting the demands of the people,” the prime minister continued, adding that his government had called a meeting earlier in the week on Monday to announce Rs23 billion ($82 million) to help the people of the region.
“Pakistan instructed the State Bank on 16th [of May] to send Rs23 billion amount to Azad Kashmir,” Sharif said. ” And as I speak to you now today, Rs23 billion have been transferred to Azad Kashmir’s account.”
“This amount has been transferred to the AJK government today by the State Bank of Pakistan,” he said.
Sharif said the progress of Pakistan was linked with the progress of Kashmir and its people while noting that the two regions would prosper together.
He informed the cabinet that as soon as a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) team would leave Pakistan, both the minister and secretary of power division would visit the region to solve the pending issues on a permanent basis so that such protests could be avoided in the future.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947, with both countries ruling part of the territory, but claiming it in full.
The recent protests in AJK were unprecedented since the area has largely remained peaceful in the past.