Pakistan government signs deal with protestors to end violent demonstrations in PoK

The west pakistan authorities on sat signed an accord with the protestors to terminate the violent demonstrations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The protests in PoK have left at least 10 dead and injured hundreds others, including civilians and police personnel.

The leaders of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), a representative body of protestors in PoK, had started a strike on September 29 after talks with officials broke down, PTI reported. The strike took a violent turn, leading to ten deaths and injuries to policemen and civilians.

Before the strike, the protestors had issued a charter of 38 points, and urged authorities to accept them or they would take to the roads. Following the violence and unrest, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a high-powered delegation to Muzaffarabad on Wednesday to negotiate with the protestors in order to stop the agitation, according to PTI.

The delegation, led by former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, held extensive discussions with the protestors for two consecutive days. The negotiations concluded at around midnight, with Pakistan's minister for parliamentary affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announcing that an agreement had been reached between both sides. The minister further called it a “victory for peace.”

“Negotiating delegation has signed the final agreement with the Action Committee.... The protesters are returning to their homes. All roads have been reopened,” Chaudhry said in a post on X.

Chaudhry also shared a copy of the agreement, a detailed document with 25 points, on X, according to PTI news agency. This included compensation for those who had been killed in the violence, registering of cases of terrorism on the incidents of violence, and vandalism resulting in deaths of police personnel and protestors.

The Pakistan government, as part of the deal, agreed to set up two additional intermediate and secondary educational boards in the Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions of PoK.

It was also decided that the local government would release funds for the implementation of health cards in PoK within 15 days for the free treatment of patients. Machines for MRIs and CT Scans will be provided, in a phase-wise manner, at each district of PoK by the federal government, according to PTI.

The agreement also stated that the Pakistan government would grant PKR 10 billion for improving the electricity system in PoK.

In an administrative rehaul, the size of the cabinet in PoK will be sized down to 20 ministers and advisors, with the administrative secretaries also not being more than 20 at a time. Some departments will be merged to reduce the size of the government, PTI reported.

The Pakistan government will study the feasibility of construction of two tunnels at Kahori/Kamser (3.7 KM) and Chaplani (0.6 KM) of the Neelum Valley road. In regards to the PoK Assembly, it was decided that a high-powered committee of legal and constitutional experts would deliberate on the issue of its members.

It was agreed that steps would be taken towards the construction of an international airport in Mirpur, and that the taxes on transfer of property will be brought at par with Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within the next three months.

(With agency inputs)

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