Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed deep concern over the ongoing situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), urging all parties to adopt a peaceful course of action to resolve the demands.
A day earlier, clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement personnel during a protest against the increase in electricity tariffs in Mirpur.
A sub-inspector was martyred and 16 police officials including a station house officer (SHO) were injured
The prime minister emphasised that while debate, discussion, and peaceful protests were beauties of democracy, there was no tolerance for taking the law into one’s own hands and damaging government properties.
Deeply concerned about the situation in AJK.
Unfortunately in situations of chaos and dissent there are always some who rush in to score political points. While debate, discussion and peaceful protests are the beauties of democracy , there should be absolutely no tolerance for…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 12, 2024
“Unfortunately in situations of chaos and dissent, there are always some, who rush in to score political points,” he wrote on his X timeline.
He also spoke to the Prime Minister of AJK and directed all PML-N office bearers in the region to engage with the leaders of the action committee to find a peaceful resolution.
Read more: AJK’s joint action committee dissociates from violent incidents
“Despite the efforts of detractors, the matter is expected to be settled soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari has also taken notice of the situation in AJK and summoned the leadership and parliamentary party of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Azad Kashmir in Islamabad.
Earlier in the day, the central leadership of the Azad Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (AAC) dissociated from violent incidents between protestors and police in AJK.
Members of the committee reiterated their commitment to conducting a peaceful movement and declared that any propaganda against the state of Pakistan on social media is ‘utterly unacceptable’.
Read: Cop dies in AJK clashes over high power tariff
“The insidious Indian media is fabricating baseless allegations to conceal the atrocities in Occupied Kashmir, which are devoid of any connection with reality” the committee stated.
Last week, several of the AAC members were arrested by police in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur divisions. The committee announced a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on Friday and AJK police blocked the arteries leading to Muzaffarabad and resorted to baton charge and teargas shelling to disperse the protesters on Saturday.
As the crackdown against the protesters continued, several people were taken into custody from different parts of the region.
