PM approves Rs23bn grant for AJK amid protest over price hikes
ISLAMABAD, (NNI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday approved a grant of Rs23 billion ($82, 685,321) to “solve the problems” of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, his office confirmed, amid ongoing protests as demonstrators resumed their march on Monday to Muzaffarabad over the prices of wheat and power.
The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) is leading the protests and demanding subsidized wheat flour and that electricity prices be set as per the hydropower generation cost in Azad Kashmir.
Azad Kashmir witnessed violent clashes between the police and activists of a rights movement amid a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike across the territory, which left at least one police official dead and several others injured.
Sub-inspector Adnan Qureshi succumbed to a gunshot wound in the chest in the town of Islamgarh, where he was deployed to stop a rally for Muzaffarabad under the banner of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
Weekend talks between the JAAC core committee and AJK Chief Secretary Dawood Bareach in Rawalakot ended in a stalemate and a planned march by protesters to the capital resumed on Monday.
Markets, business centers, offices and educational institutions remain closed in AJK on Monday while inter-district transport is also completely closed and only few private vehicles are seen on the streets of the city.
“After a detailed review of the current situation, Prime Minister Sharif has approved the immediate provision of Rs 23 billion for solving the problems of the Kashmiri people,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement today.
The decision was taken after Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on the ongoing protests in Azad Kashmir.
Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, AJK cabinet members, and senior leadership attended the meeting besides the federal ministers and leaders of the coalition parties.
The Kashmiri leadership and other participants thanked the Prime Minister for the announcement regarding the provision of funds.
Meanwhile, JAAC core committee member Amjad Ali Khan said the long march would reach Azad Kashmir’s capital Muzaffarabad today (Monday), and that protesters will stage a sit-in until their demands are not met.
“We are proceeding with our long march from Dhirkot and will reach Muzaffarabad today regardless of obstacles,” Amjad Khan said. “After arriving in Azad Kashmir’s capital city, we will stage a sit-in in front of the AJK Legislative Assembly building until our demands are met,” he elaborated.
He said talks with the government remained unsuccessful as Islamabad wanted to gain time to disperse protesters.
“Our immediate stress is on three main demands, electricity tariff reduction, subsidized wheat, and removal of incentives of the elite class,” he said, adding that the government should fulfill its commitments with the JAAC which it had agreed to in February.