MUZAFFARABAD: A government decision to dole out a Rs23 billion subsidy to placate violent protests in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) failed to pacify the region after three people were shot dead and six sustained injuries due to firing and teargas shelling by the paramilitary Rangers in Muzaffarabad on Monday.
Shortly before the violence, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and AJK PM Anwarul Haq after a meeting approved the release of Rs23 billion for AJK on account of power and wheat subsidies.
The subsidised rate for 40kg flour will be Rs2,000, down from Rs3,100. The electricity tariff was reduced to Rs3, Rs5 and Rs6 per unit for up to 100, 300, and more than 300 units, respectively. The AJK government also issued notifications to this effect for the satisfaction of protesters.
Rangers, called in to maintain law and order in the state, were supposed to return to the Pakistani territory after the PM’s announcement. Instead of moving out of the territory via Brarkot — the village bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — they chose to exit the region from Kohala. As the 19-vehicle convoy, including five trucks, reached Muzaffarabad in a “charged atmosphere”, it was pelted with rocks near Shorran da Nakka village, to which they responded with teargas and firing.
A social media clip verified by Dawn showed three Rangers vehicles ablaze on the Muzaffarabad-Brarkot road.
After entering the city through the Western Bypass, the Rangers were welcomed with rocks again, prompting them to use teargas and bullets. The shelling was so intense that the entire neighbourhood reeled from it.
Tear gas shelling
This correspondent saw two local elders approaching the Rangers and escorting them to safety via a link road. However, witnesses said that the Rangers had resorted to teargas
shelling and firing in the air in another area as well before the administration drove their vehicles to safety.
Divisional Commissioner Muzaffarabad Sardar Adnan Khurshid told Dawn that at least three persons had died in firing by Rangers and another six had suffered wounds. The commissioner identified the deceased as Saqib, son of Shabir from Plate; Waqar, son of Babu from Dara Batangi; and Azhar, son of Majeed from Chehla Bandi areas of Muzaffarabad.
After the talks’ failure on Sunday night, the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had asked the protesters to resume their march on the state capital.
The rallies made a stopover in Dhirkot, about 80km from the capital, where the administration engaged their leaders on Monday until the conclusion of the meeting convened by PM Shehbaz in Islamabad.
After the subsidy was announced by the government, the movement leaders said they would decide about it after the issuance of notifications.
Subsequently, the AJK food department issued a notification, bringing the price of flour/40kg to Rs2,100 and that of electricity to Rs3, Rs5, and Rs6 per unit for up to 100, 300 and more than 300 units, respectively.
The notifications immediately went viral on social media and preparations were underway to welcome the JAAC leaders in Muzaffarabad and to celebrate the victory.
According to witnesses, some rallies clashed with the police in Chattar Chowk, where police had to resort to teargas shelling to disperse them.
