A shutterdown and wheel jam strike gripped Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday as the Joint Action Committee (JAC) mobilized widespread protests across the region. The strike forced markets, businesses, and transportation services to close, while schools remained open, though many classrooms were empty. The movement, supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), reflects growing public discontent and has paralyzed routine life in AJK.
The situation has been further intensified by a communication blackout, now in its second consecutive day. Mobile, internet, and landline services have been suspended, leaving citizens cut off from the outside world.
This unprecedented disruption has severely impacted daily life, halting online businesses, educational activities, and even financial transactions, as long queues formed at ATM machines. Officials claim the blackout aims to prevent the spread of unrest during the large-scale protests.
At the core of the movement is a 38-point charter of demands presented by the Public Action Committee. The demands range from structural reforms to specific grievances. They include the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the elimination of refugee-reserved seats in the legislative assembly, an end to the exploitation by mobile companies, and reforms in governance to curb corruption and nepotism.
Other points highlight infrastructure needs such as the construction of tunnels, expressways, bridges, and airports, as well as provisions for clean drinking water, electricity reforms, youth employment, and education. The committee has also demanded the dismissal of cases against protesters, interest-free loans for youth, and recognition of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bank as a scheduled bank.
Despite government engagement with protest leaders, negotiations collapsed on September 25. Federal ministers Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Amir Muqam indicated that while Islamabad had accepted demands related to flour and electricity, those requiring constitutional amendments fell beyond the federal government’s authority and would need parliamentary approval.
The government has since increased security measures, deploying thousands of additional police and Rangers in Muzaffarabad and surrounding districts.
Dr. Irfan Ashraf, spokesperson for the AJK government, maintained that the region remains largely peaceful, claiming that citizens are tired of recurring strikes and roadblocks. He also pointed to the ongoing negotiation process.
However, the JAC has escalated its campaign by writing to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and international human rights organizations, seeking investigations into alleged abuses, arrests, and casualties during earlier protests.
The strike, coupled with the communication blackout, underscores both the scale of public frustration and the intensity of the standoff between the government and the JAC. As the committee plans rallies to amplify its demands, the region remains tense, with no resolution yet in sight.
