Muzaffarabad: Three civilians died and six were injured in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), where protests over rising costs of food, fuel, and utilities intensified on Tuesday.
The fatalities took place as the Pakistani Rangers were moving out of the territory after the government announced a ₹23 billion subsidy to placate the protesters, according to a news report.
Violent Protests
The 19-vehicle convoy of the Rangers was pelted with stones near Shorran da Nakka village in Muzaffarabad, prompting security personnel to respond with teargas and firing. Vehicles of the paramilitary personnel were set ablaze on the Muzaffarabad-Brarkot road, showed one video which went viral on social media, while another showed Azadi slogans being raised by protesters.
JAAC, The Main Party Behind The Protests
The Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which is spearheading the protests, asked demonstrators to resume their march, saying the Pakistani government did not fulfil all their demands.
The violent street protests in POK, which erupted around May 10, have left more than 90 people injured, according to Pakistani media.
On Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the release of ₹23 billion for POK for power and wheat subsidies to placate the protesters. The situation in Muzaffarabad is getting very serious, said POK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza, who also requested the Indian government to summon the Pakistani ambassador and seek an explanation.
"This morning, about 500,000 people descended upon Muzaffarabad and the suburbs to protest against high taxes... Suddenly, the protesters hit back and the Rangers retreated. It seemed as if the Rangers had disappeared from the scene, but then they came with a heavy contingency of rangers," Mirza was quoted as saying by a news agency.
"The toll might increase. The internet has totally shut down in the region. The Army commandos started to land in helicopters in the centre of Muzaffarabad and each helicopter was carrying 20 to 25 commandos," he said.
