| Protests intensify in PoJK after FIRs against JAAC leaders, workers | | | Muskan Thakur
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 11: Tensions are rising in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) after authorities in Haveli district filed FIRs against several leaders and dozens of workers of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) following the September 9 shutter-down and wheel-jam strike in Khurshidabad.
The move has sparked fresh demonstrations across the region, with the JAAC condemning the cases and continuing its agitation over public rights and long-standing demands.
On Thursday evening, residents, youth, and JAAC workers held a peaceful torchlight rally at Banjosa near Rawalakot. Carrying torches, they voiced support for the restoration of people’s rights and opposed recent administrative actions against protesters.
JAAC leader Khawaja Mehran said the committee’s demands were rooted in legal and constitutional rights. He pointed to earlier mobilisations from Kotli, where thousands joined the movement, and urged the government to hold meaningful talks.
Another JAAC leader, Sardar Aman Khan, accused the PoJK government of ignoring basic needs despite claiming to provide funds. He alleged that protesters had faced force instead of dialogue, with deaths and mass detentions during the agitation. “You killed 100 people, thousands are in jail, and they are not even shown as arrested,” Khan said, naming colleagues like Shaukat Nawaz Mir among those missing.
Khan also criticised the newly formed government led by Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani of PML-N, saying it had failed to engage with protesters even after two weeks in office. He argued that Gillani should have immediately visited Rawalakot to hear the people’s grievances instead of issuing threats.
Warning against intimidation, Khan said public mobilisation across PoK showed the strength of the movement. “If you think threats will silence us, look at how people opened blocked roads through protest,” he remarked.
The agitation continues as JAAC presses the administration to meet its demands, with the FIRs now adding another flashpoint between protesters and the authorities. |
|
