Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is experiencing one of its biggest protests in recent history, with the Awami Action Committee (AAC) calling for massive demonstrations throughout the region on Monday.
The AAC's appeal for a "shutter-down and wheel-jam" strike—liable to go on indefinitely—has heightened tensions, with Islamabad deploying security personnel in huge numbers and cutting off internet services from midnight to forestall mobilisation.
The AAC, a civic society alliance that has gained considerable traction during the past few months, has mobilised thousands, bemoaning decades of political exclusion and economic ignoring. The AAC 38-point charter calls for institutional reforms, including the deletion of 12 legislative slots in the PoK legislature reserved for Kashmiri refugees who reside in Pakistan—slots which locals hold dilute true representative rule. Other requirements are subsidised flour, reduced electricity bills based on the Mangla hydropower project, and adoption of long-overdue reforms promised by Islamabad.
"Our struggle is not against an institution but in favour of the basic rights excluded to our people for more than 70 years," said Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a senior AAC leader, speaking to crowds in Muzaffarabad. "Enough is enough. Either provide rights or suffer the anger of the people," he added.
Government reaction and breakdown of talks
The government has reacted with a tough display of power. In the past week, convoys armed to the teeth carried out flag marches through large PoK towns, and troops numbering thousands were rushed in from Punjab. Police also blocked major city entry and exit points at the weekend, and security around sensitive facilities was enhanced.
Islamabad deployed another 1,000 police officers from the capital to reinforce local security. Officials maintain that the measures are required to ensure order. "Peace is the joint responsibility of the citizens and administration," District Magistrate Mudasser Farooq said in The Dawn, advising against disruption of public life.
The deployment comes on the heels of a dramatic breakdown in marathon negotiations between AAC negotiators, the government of PoK and federal ministers. After 13 hours of negotiations, the talks broke down when the committee would not budge on ending elite privileges and the refugee assembly seats. "The talks were incomplete and inconclusive," Mir said, reaffirming his commitment to pursuing the shutdown.
A region on edge
On the streets, there is tension in the air. Shop associations in Muzaffarabad declared that they would be open on Sunday, so people could stock up on basics before the strike. Security convoys streaming into the city can be seen in social media videos, and people are worried about a brute force crackdown. PoK citizens march shouting slogans calling for independence from what they call Pakistan's enforced occupation.
Even as the government takes steps, AAC leaders are adamant that their protest will continue to be peaceful but resolute. With the internet shut down and security enhanced, Monday's confrontation could prove a turning point in PoK's age-old fight for political freedoms. Both sides seem in no mood to give way, and the stage is being set for a potentially explosive confrontation that will reverberate far beyond Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's valleys.
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