One Killed, Several Injured As Rival Groups Clash During Protests In Pakistan-occupied Jammu And Kashmir

One person was killed and several others injured in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on Monday (29 September) after rival groups clashed during protests called by civil society and trade bodies, The Hindu reported.

The region remains under a communication blackout following the indefinite strike.

The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), an umbrella civil society group, called the shutter-down and wheel-jam strike over its unfulfilled 38-point charter of demands, which includes subsidised flour and electricity, free education and healthcare, removal of job quotas for refugees, rollback of elite privileges, and construction of road projects.

Violence erupted at Neelum Bridge when a “peace rally” led by Muslim Conference leader Raja Saqib Majeed clashed with JKJAAC protesters.

Witnesses told Dawn News, participants of the peace rally fired upon JKJAAC demonstrators ‘without any provocation’.

A 30-year-old crockery shop owner, Mohammad Sudheer, was shot and later died in hospital.

Another shopkeeper, wounded by shrapnel, said demonstrators had tried to make way for Majeed’s convoy, but members of his group attacked them.

Eyewitnesses alleged that the peace rally was protected by police and paramilitary forces, who also fired tear gas at JKJAAC demonstrators.

Hospital visitors showed spent bullet casings collected from the scene.

The protests, which began two years ago over local grievances, have grown to include political and economic rights. JKJAAC leaders, including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, addressed the crowd at Lal Chowk in Muzaffarabad, calling for another gathering at 11 AM on Tuesday (30 September).

Similar demonstrations were reported in Rawalakot, Sudhnoti, and Bhimber, where a rally was led by Ehsanul Haq of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

All businesses remained closed, streets were deserted, and authorities maintained a strict security presence.

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