Massive clashes erupted between police and protesters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s (PaK) Dadyal, Muzaffarabad, amid demonstrations against soaring inflation and power cuts. The skirmish in Mirpur district left multiple injured and prompted authorities to impose a curfew.
A crippling shutter-down and wheel-jam strike was observed on Friday on the call of a people’s action committee to protest against a police crackdown. According to a Dawn.com report, Muzaffarabad experienced clashes between police and demonstrators in various neighborhoods until late evening, with incidents of stone-throwing and intense teargas use.
The strike was organised by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee in response to the arrest of several leaders and activists during overnight police operations in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur division. Last month, the committee had announced plans for a mass march to Muzaffarabad on Saturday (May 11).
The committee has been leading a campaign against what it sees as unjust electricity taxes, having previously staged a strike on this issue in August last year. They advocate for electricity prices to align with the production costs of hydropower.
Although the committee had reached an agreement with an official reconciliation committee in December, resulting in a government notification on February 4, they announced the May 11 march due to perceived government failures to honour these commitments.
Dawn.com’s report noted widespread closures, including businesses and banks, and absence of traffic and vendors in three districts of Muzaffarabad. Clashes between police and demonstrators occurred in many areas, with stone-throwing by protesters leading to teargas use by law enforcement, affecting residents in homes and mosques.
