The protests in AJK have escalated into violent clashes between the police and activists of the Join Awami Action Committee (JAAC), who initiated the protests, demanding essential rights, including fair electricity pricing and subsidized wheat flour.
Sub-Inspector Adnan Qureshi tragically lost his life, and over 90 individuals were reported injured. These were meant to be peaceful protests, aimed at addressing legitimate grievances. Unfortunately, these have descended into chaos and violence, tarnishing the treasured tranquillity of the region.
On a positive note, both the JAAC and the government have rightly condemned the violent elements involved, labelling them as “plants” that are not acting for a specific goal, but simply seeking to instigate unrest. Unnecessary violence will not only undermine the legitimacy of peaceful protestors and their demands, but it will wreak havoc in the region. Both sides must not work in collaboration to ensure anarchy does not spread, and actively pacify the authorities as well the protestors. The demands put forth by the JAAC are legitimate and are echoed by other parts of the nation in the form of farmer protests as well. Essentially the JAAC wants an end to the privileges enjoyed by the elite class, along with provisions for hydropower-generated electricity and wheat flour. The government has acknowledged these demands already, so the hard part is over. All that is left now is to resolve these issues in a peaceful manner.
It is commendable to see the government promptly responding to demands and engaging in dialogue rather than waiting for more turmoil, as has been the case in the past. PTI’s potential protests, along with the escalating farmers’ protests in Punjab, have already created multiple threats to the nation’s stability as it is. The last thing we need is for our northern region to also fall apart over a few very reasonable demands.
Addressing each protest is imperative, with due consideration to specific grievances and demands in each side, because widespread unrest will be a nightmare for the state to handle. Given the volatile state of AJK at the moment, we will have to treat it as the highest priority for now. Authorities that are engaging in physical violence must be pulled back immediately – this will not only needlessly endanger the lives of citizens but also our police forces.
