Deal reached to end deadly unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Authorities and protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have signed an agreement to end a weeklong shutdown
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan-administered Kashmir (MNTV) — Authorities and protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have signed an agreement to end a weeklong shutdown and violent clashes that left at least 10 people dead, including police officers.
The deal, reached on Saturday between the federal government and the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), follows days of tense negotiations after mass protests erupted across the region over economic hardship, governance issues, and what activists call “elite privileges.”
The unrest began on September 29 when the JAAC — an alliance of traders, civil society members, and activists — launched a regionwide strike demanding reforms and lower living costs. Violence broke out earlier this week as rival groups confronted each other and security forces used live fire, prompting Islamabad to deploy paramilitary troops and enforce a communications blackout.
Under the new accord, both sides agreed to register cases over the deaths of protesters and law enforcement personnel under the Anti-Terrorism Act, with a judicial commission to investigate incidents in several towns.
Families of those killed will receive government jobs and compensation equal to that of law enforcement victims, while those injured will get one million rupees each.
The government also pledged sweeping administrative and economic changes, including the reduction of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) cabinet to 20 members, the merger of overlapping departments, and the creation of new education boards in Muzaffarabad and Poonch.
It also committed to issuing health cards, upgrading hospitals with MRI and CT scan machines, and allocating 10 billion rupees to improve the region’s electricity system.
A high-powered committee will review the controversial 12 reserved assembly seats for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir — one of the protesters’ key demands — and reassess perks and privileges enjoyed by government officials.
Infrastructure projects such as new road tunnels, a water supply scheme, and feasibility studies for an international airport in Mirpur were also promised.
A joint monitoring committee comprising representatives from the federal and AJK governments and the JAAC will oversee implementation of the agreement.
The protests, the third major wave in two years, had paralyzed the semi-autonomous region of four million people.
While authorities say normalcy is returning, residents remain cautious after repeated cycles of unrest and unfulfilled promises.
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