Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 21: Tension is mounting once more in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), where the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has announced a fresh, large-scale agitation from October 24 in the Poonch division. The region is still grappling with internet restrictions, partial shutdowns of markets, disruptions in the supply of essential commodities and a bitter dispute over political representation.
According to security agencies, Kotli has been made the nerve centre of the movement, with a massive public rally called there. On the same day, the ongoing sit-ins at Rawalakot and Abbaspur will merge into the main Kotli gathering. Preparations are also under way for a chakka jam (road blockade) in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.
Communication services remain far from normal. Internet service was restored in Muzaffarabad after nearly 136 days, but mobile internet curbs continue in Poonch and parts of Kotli. The restrictions are hitting studen The JAAC movement began with demands for relief from inflated electricity bills and the rising price of wheat flour.
Its charter has since expanded to include accountability in governance, civil rights, better public services and political representation in the Assembly.
A key flashpoint is the demand to scrap the 12 Assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan, which the JAAC says dilutes the voice of local voters.
The unrest has already exacted a heavy toll. During the major agitation between July and September, the Pakistani army is reported to have killed 150 protesters. Security agencies also say around 200 women and girls were abducted and remain untraced. The protesters were branded terrorists, and Rangers were deployed in the affected areas in what critics describe as a massacre. | 