Islamabad, Pakistan – After a four-day wheel-jam strike and the shutdown of markets and civic actions, the federal government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has introduced the withdrawal of a presidential ordinance that restricted “unregistered organisations” from holding protests with out permission.
The Peaceable Meeting and Public Order Ordinance 2024, launched final month, was broadly criticised by protesters within the area, who known as it a state tactic to suppress demonstrations after the federal government didn’t fulfil its guarantees.
Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a core member of the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Motion Committee (JKJAAC), stated negotiations with the federal government over the weekend led to Sunday’s withdrawal of the ordinance, which had been issued by Sultan Mahmood, the president of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
“The federal government aimed to disrupt the JKJAAC and its deliberate lengthy march subsequent yr by introducing this ordinance, however they underestimated the ability of the folks,” Mir advised Al Jazeera.
The group, which consists of civil society members within the area, together with merchants, teachers, legal professionals and different communities, had introduced in October that it could launch a serious march on January 23 to power the federal government to fulfil a set of calls for issued in Might.
Since Thursday, 1000’s of individuals throughout numerous districts have protested in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, blocking main entry factors to the area by means of its capital, Muzaffarabad, in addition to different main cities, together with Mirpur and Kotli.
Pir Muhammad Mazhar Saeed Shah, the area’s info minister, confirmed the withdrawal of the ordinance after protesters braved chilly temperatures throughout their profitable strike.
“We’re a democratic society, and our authorities walked the speak by permitting the general public to protest peacefully and listening to their calls for,” Shah advised Al Jazeera.
What have been the protests about?
The Kashmir Valley, a scenic however contentious Himalayan area, has been the focus of a number of wars between Pakistan and India since each gained independence from British rule in 1947. Whereas each nations declare the area in full, they govern separate elements of it.
With a inhabitants exceeding 4 million folks, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, regionally generally known as Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), has a semiautonomous authorities with its personal president, prime minister and Supreme Court docket.
The roots of the most recent battle between civil society and the federal government date again to Might when the JKJAAC launched a protest centred on their 10-point Constitution of Calls for.
These included calls for for subsidised flour, electrical energy at manufacturing price and improved monetary integration with Pakistan, resembling permitting regional banks to open branches throughout the nation.
The six-day protest in Might ended after then-Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif authorized greater than $80m in subsidies, decreasing utility and wheat costs for residents.
Nevertheless, Mir, who additionally serves because the secretary-general of the area’s merchants physique, stated the federal government didn’t fulfil its guarantees on different calls for, resembling permitting the formation of scholar unions and allowing industrial telecommunications service suppliers to function within the area.
In October, the JKJAAC started consciousness campaigns and workshops and introduced the lengthy march for January. The plan entails a collection of rallies, ranging from completely different elements of the area and converging in Muzaffarabad.
“After we introduced our plan to carry a protracted march subsequent yr for fulfilment of our Constitution of Calls for, authorities tried to interrupt our unity by attacking us politically and socially,” he stated.
Mir accused the federal government of backing social media trolls who’ve labelled the JKJAAC as brokers of India’s intelligence companies.
“We have been known as stooges of Indian intelligence companies. We have been accused of being funded by overseas enemies,” Mir added.
Shah denied that the federal government was linked to this social media marketing campaign.
What was the ordinance about?
The Peaceable Meeting and Public Order Ordinance 2024, modelled on comparable laws launched in Islamabad this yr, was issued in late November.
The ordinance granted native authorities the ability to evaluate the legislation and order state of affairs earlier than allowing public gatherings. It additionally mandated that gatherings happen solely in designated areas and cling to particular occasions and routes.
“The police began arresting our leaders and members even when they have been holding their seminars and occasions indoors,” Mir charged.
The ordinance was challenged in courtroom this month, and the AJK Supreme Court docket suspended it.
Nevertheless, the JKJAAC insisted on its full withdrawal, calling for a strike on Thursday to dam the area till its calls for have been met.
What’s the state of affairs now?
1000’s of individuals got here out onto the streets regardless of temperatures falling underneath 10 levels Celsius (50 levels Fahrenheit) for the four-day strike.
Mir stated the federal government finally relented after protesters introduced plans to march in direction of the Legislative Meeting and agreed to negotiations on Saturday.
“Our core demand with the federal government was to problem notification of full withdrawal of the ordinance in addition to launch of our activists who have been arrested throughout these protests,” he stated.
Shah confirmed the profitable negotiations, noting that the ordinance was withdrawn and the JKJAAC agreed to postpone their January lengthy march.
“We by no means claimed this legislation was excellent, and the whole lot will be improved. We agreed to take it again and signed a written settlement to have interaction in dialogue over the subsequent six months to handle the remainder of the clauses of their Constitution of Calls for,” the data minister stated.
