ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Following a four-day traffic strike and closure of markets and civic activities, the government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has withdrawn an executive order restricting “unregistered groups” from holding protests without permission. announced.
The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance 2024, introduced last month, was widely criticized by regional protesters as a state tactic to suppress demonstrations after the government failed to deliver on its promises.
Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a leading member of the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), agreed to Sunday’s revocation of the ordinance promulgated by Pakistan-ruled President Sultan Mahmood following negotiations with the government over the weekend. He said he was connected. Kashmir.
“By introducing this ordinance, the government aimed to disrupt JKJAAC and the long march planned for next year, but it underestimated the power of the people,” Mir told Al Jazeera.
The group, made up of local civil society members including traders, academics, lawyers and other communities, staged a large-scale rally on January 23 to force the government to implement a series of demands made in May. It was announced in October that the march would begin. .
Thousands of people from various districts in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have been protesting since Thursday, with major entry points into the region through the capital Muzaffarabad and major cities such as Mirpur and Kotli blocked.
The region’s Information Minister Pir Mohammad Mazar Saeed Shah confirmed the revocation of the ordinance after protesters braved the cold to carry out a successful strike.
“We are a democratic society and the government has advanced its policies by allowing peaceful protests and listening to the demands of the people,” Shah told Al Jazeera.
What were the protests about?
The Kashmir Valley, a picturesque but contentious Himalayan region, has been the focus of repeated wars between Pakistan and India since they gained independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries claim the entire region, but govern parts of it separately.
Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with a population of over 4 million people, is known locally as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and has a semi-autonomous government with its own president, prime minister, and supreme court.
The roots of the recent conflict between civil society and the government date back to May, when the JKJAAC launched protests centered on its 10-point charter of demands.
These included demands for subsidized flour, electricity at production costs, and improved financial integration with Pakistan, including permission for local banks to open branches across the country.
The six-day protests in May ended when then-Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved more than $80 million in subsidies, lowering utility bills and wheat prices for residents.
But Mir, who is also general secretary of the region’s trade association, said the government had failed to deliver on its promises on other demands, such as allowing student unions to form and allowing commercial telecommunications service providers to operate in the region. said.
In October, JKJAAC launched an awareness campaign and workshops and announced a long march in January. The plan includes a series of rallies starting from different parts of the region and converging in Muzaffarabad.
“When we announced plans for a long march next year to implement the Charter of Demands, the government tried to attack us politically and socially and destroy our unity,” he said.
Mir accused the government of supporting social media trolls who labeled JKJAAC as an agent of Indian intelligence agencies.
“We were called stooges of Indian intelligence. We were accused of receiving funding from foreign enemies,” Mir added.
Mr Shah denied that the government was involved in the social media campaign.
What was that ordinance about?
The Peaceful Assembly and Security Ordinance 2024, modeled on a similar law introduced in Islamabad this year, was promulgated in late November.
The ordinance gave local governments the power to assess the law and order situation before allowing public gatherings. It also required rallies to be held only in designated locations and to adhere to specific times and routes.
“Police started arresting leaders and members even when they were holding seminars and events indoors,” Mir charged.
The ordinance was challenged in court this month, and the AJK Supreme Court blocked it.
However, JKJAAC insisted on a complete withdrawal and called for a strike on Thursday to blockade the area until its demands were met.
How is it now?
The four-day strike saw thousands of people take to the streets even as temperatures fell below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).
Mill said the government finally relented after protesters announced plans to march on the Legislative Assembly and agreed to negotiations on Saturday.
“Our main demands to the government were for a complete withdrawal of the ordinance and a notification for the release of the activists arrested during the protests,” he said.
Shah confirmed the success of the negotiations, noting that the ordinance has been withdrawn and the JKJAAC has agreed to postpone its January long march.
“We are by no means claiming this law is perfect and everything can be improved. We agree to take it back and will spend the next six months addressing the remaining provisions of the Charter of Demands. We have signed a written agreement to hold a dialogue,” the information minister said.
