Pakistan government and protesters sign agreement to end PoK unrest
text_fields
After days of violent unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the federal government and protesters on Saturday signed an agreement to end demonstrations that left at least 10 people dead and hundreds injured.
The protests began on September 29 after talks between officials and the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), a representative body of protesters, broke down. The demonstrators had issued a charter of 38 points, demanding acceptance from authorities or they would take to the streets, which eventually led to violent clashes. Three police personnel were among those killed, and hundreds of civilians and policemen were injured.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a high-powered delegation to Muzaffarabad on Wednesday to negotiate a solution. Led by former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, the team engaged in two days of discussions, concluding around midnight. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced on social media, “Negotiating delegation has signed the final agreement with the Action Committee.... The protesters are returning to their homes. All roads have been reopened. This is a victory for peace.”
The signed agreement included 25 points to end the protests. Measures include compensation for those killed in the violence, registering cases of terrorism linked to deaths of police and protesters, and the creation of two additional intermediate and secondary educational boards for Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions.
The federal government also agreed to fund health cards for free treatment, provide MRI and CT scan machines phase-wise across districts, and allocate PKR 10 billion to improve the electricity system in PoK.
The size of the PoK cabinet will be reduced to 20 ministers and advisors, and the number of administrative secretaries will not exceed 20, with some departments merged to streamline governance. The government will conduct feasibility studies for two tunnels in Neelum Valley and consider constructing an international airport in Mirpur. Property transfer taxes will be aligned with Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within three months.
A monitoring and implementation committee will oversee the enforcement of the agreement.
Before the deal, Friday marked the fifth consecutive day of a shutdown, with public transport halted. Only motorcycles and a few private vehicles were seen on the roads. The communications blackout, imposed on Sunday, continued to fuel frustration among residents.
