Srinagar, July 7: The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Pakistan government, warning of a “grand and final” agitation on July 9 if its demands are not met, as unrest continues to escalate across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
In a formal declaration, the JAAC announced that its ongoing sit-in protest would continue indefinitely until all its demands are fulfilled. The committee also appealed to people across PoJK and members of the Kashmiri diaspora to join the proposed mass mobilisation on July 9.
The ultimatum comes amid an intensifying crackdown by Pakistani authorities, with reports indicating that police action against protesters gathered pace on Sunday. Demonstrations erupted across several parts of Muzaffarabad against the alleged arrest of civil rights activists, with reports of shelling, firing and clashes surfacing from multiple locations.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets, demanding an end to the alleged blockade, restoration of communication services, uninterrupted supply of food, flour and essential medicines, release of detained leaders, and implementation of a 38-point written agreement reached earlier with the authorities.
The protests have gained momentum after Pakistan declared the JAAC an outlawed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Protest organisers have alleged that more than 600 activists and political leaders have been detained during the ongoing crackdown.
The JAAC has also accused the authorities of imposing an economic blockade by restricting the movement of food grains, flour and essential medicines into the region, further aggravating the humanitarian situation. The group has maintained that the sit-in will continue until its demands are accepted, setting the stage for a major showdown on July 9 if no breakthrough is achieved. (Agencies)
