Introduction:-
There is a huge uproar going on in Azad Kashmir. Protests in Kashmir break out against the tax imposed on the electricity bill. Protests turned violent in many areas. One policeman died in this violence. More than 100 people are said to be injured. After the uproar, the Pakistan government sent rangers to AJK. There was talk of banning social media and internet which was implemented and communications and updates from AJK are disturbed even though the demands are accepted and rangers ordered to leave.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif called emergency meeting on May 13. In a hurry, about 23 billion Pakistani rupees had to be announced for AJK.
India taking advantage
Violence in AJK is taking place at a time when this issue is in focus in the general elections of India which is being highlighted by Indian news channels. India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh gave a bold statement on 5th May While talking to news agency PTI, he had said that, “the way the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir has changed, the way economic progress is taking place in the region and the way peace has returned there, the people of PoK themselves will demand that they be merged into India. It should be done.” then on May 13, India’s Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said that, “PoK is a part of India”. All of this is a sign of worry and alert that arch rival India has always exploited these situations and they have made their intentions clear again which is alarming for Pakistan. Internal turmoil is giving confidence to external forces and it is been portrayed that Kashmiris are willing to join India but ground realities are very different in fact people are so fed up that slogans against both Pakistan and India were made during the protests but India as always exaggerates the situation which is no like that of people of jammu who have no rights people of AJK are openly protesting against government actions and they were given space just like what happens in any democratic state. In jammu they don’t protest against bills but for freedom the protests are answer for India that AJK citizens considers Pakistan their Home and therefore protest against government rules. They are not deprived of basic rights.
THE ISSUE
Violent protests are taking place in AJK against inflation and increase in electricity prices. This is being done by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee. Their three main demands are that number one, the government should subsidize the prices of flour so that flour is available at cheap prices and the poor can get it. Get food easily, number two government Provide electricity at affordable prices. AJK provides 3500 MW electricity to Pakistan. AJK needs only 400 MW electricity. The protesters demand that electricity rates should be cheaper. Number three, the extra facilities given to the elite class of AJK should be abolished an issue which is rising all over Pakistan. They had been protesting sporadically against inflation for the last 11 months. On May 9, he announced to march till the capital Muzaffarabad. Police started making arrests to stop him. Then on May 11, clashes escalated between the police and the protesters. One policeman died in it. happened while than 100,000 people were injured. On May 12, talks between JAC and PO government continued. Protestors started moving forward, due to which there was a stir in Islamabad. Army sent Pak Rangers and Frontier Court soldiers to AJK. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif took up the diplomatic front. He wanted to somehow calm down the protests. From the beginning he said that genuine demands would be considered. On May 13, Shahbaz Sharif called an emergency meeting and then announced a package of Rs 23 billion. Despite this, the protesters did not lag behind.
Prime Minister Chaudhary Anawar Haq announced that the government has accepted all the demands of the protesters. The protesters did not retreat till now probably because of mistreatment of security forces earlier assistant commissioner was beaten badly in public and was hanged in the middle of the road naked. Why are people so angry, then this is the situation in the whole of Pakistan where the prices of essential food items have increased and after that the Be it oil, petrol, diesel, electricity, everything. The thing is that the common people are getting it at very high prices and another reason for this is that the currency there has fallen during the last two years the Pakistani rupee has fallen a lot against the dollar. So the Pakistani currency, Pakistani Rupee, which is prevalent, does not have much value in the international market, due to which the impact is clearly on the prices, so that is the main reason and inflation in Pakistan is also the main reason for this protest. It has been mild over the past several months. Such demonstrations were taking place there on a mild and short scale, but since Friday, this movement or this demonstration has taken a bigger form, the main reason for which is that the common people in Pakistan have formed social organizations and the business class and Especially the general public there, their small NGO societies, some political parties which are not big political parties, they have formed a coordination committee under the umbrella of the Joint Awami Action Committee, which is holding this demonstration in AJK for the last three years.
It took a violent turn in which around 100 police personnel and protesters were injured and even one police officer died.
The group behind the movement
Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee is leading this protest. What is the story of this group? Till now you are talking about Joint Awami Action Committee, this is a group formed in which the common people living in AJK and the business class there, as per their talk, a trade federation has been formed, different in different districts. -In different areas, there are those who have joined this Awami Action Committee as well as the lawyers who are there. Also included in this are the Bar Stations which we generally call Bar Association of Muzaffarabad in different areas, so in this way it is a firm formed by the common people without any political name or without any political name.
History and structure of Azad Kashmir Government
History of Kashmir. In 1839, Maharaja Ranjit Singh left the world and the Sikh empire in North West India shrank. In 1845, the first Anglo Sikh war took place and the British won and after the Lahore Treaty was signed in 1846, Kashmir came under the control of the British, but the British did not want to waste their precious time and money in this hilly and cold area, so they handed over the area of Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan to Maharaja Gulab Singh for 75lacs knowing that it is a Muslim majority area. However, with the help of their political agents, they maintained control over this area from outside. IN 1947 India and Pakistan came into existence. At that time, India was divided into more than 560 princely states. They had to choose between India and Pakistan. Gave exemption, most of them chose the option of merger with India but the matter got stuck on some princely states, among them was Kashmir. At that time, the king of Kashmir was Maharaja Hari Singh and majority population was Muslim which wanted merger with Pakistan. He said that we will neither go with Pakistan nor join India as an independent princely state. India made illegal policy to take back the entire PoK always abused basic human rights and kept control with high military presence Indian occupied Kashmir still remains to be highly militarized are in the world. Referendum never took place and UN resolution was not obeyed by India ever but they always have a stubborn agenda to criticize and act loudly which they always do. On 22 February 1994, the Parliament of India passed a resolution in which it was said that Jammu and Kashmir was and will always be an integral part of India. The areas of Jammu and Kashmir which Pakistan had occupied It has been illegally occupied, it should be vacated, but Pakistan is not ready for this, on the contrary, it keeps trying to annex the entire Jammu.
According to the Constitution of Pakistan, POK It is not its province but it is a liberated part of Kashmir in Pakistan. There are total four provinces, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan. It has not declared AJK as a province, it has got autonomy in many matters, it has its own President and Prime Minister, it also has its own Constitution, High Court and Supreme Court. Despite this, all the issues related to AJK are resolved with consent of Pakistan. The constitution of AJK prevents people and parties opposing merger with Pakistan from working. Assembly members have to swear loyalty to Pakistan. Pakistan government exercises indirect control over AJK. Kashmir There are 14 members in this council through the council. They are appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Out of 14, six are selected by the Government of Pakistan itself. The remaining eight members come from the assembly of AJK.
The worrisome scenario
If such a situation arises in Azad Kashmir in which people gather on a large scale, then it is a very scary thing for the Pakistani government and also for Pakistan because on the one hand India is a disputed territory and protestors on the other hand but Pakistan should learn especially the establishment and military leadership that has sabotaged Pakistan sine its independence their behavior is inviting hatred of people from all over Pakistan. Which is why people are appreciating efforts of Kashmiris and this could trigger nationwide protests.
The question is whether Pakistan has lived with so much joy in this package, whether it will be implemented, whether people will get relief from inflation or other things, it will be clearly known in the coming days, but till now the movement and The anger of the people has not cooled down. India on the other hand is using the issue for its benefits as always. But the main issue of AJK and Pakistan is same which is why the situation is worrisome and it could be the beginning of the end of establishment led governments in Pakistan.