Pakistan-administered Kashmir withdraws protest restrictions after a strike
Event date: 2024-12-09
Pakistan-administered Kashmir has withdrawn a presidential ordinance that had restricted protests by unregistered organisations, ending a confrontation that had escalated into a four-day wheel-jam strike and shutdown of markets and civic activity. The Al Jazeera report says the government pulled back the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance 2024 after negotiations with the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee.
The ordinance had been introduced last month and was widely seen by protesters as an attempt to suppress demonstrations after the government failed to fulfil earlier promises. Under the law, authorities could decide whether gatherings were allowed and could limit them to designated areas, specific times and approved routes. The packet says the region's Supreme Court had already suspended the ordinance, but protesters still demanded complete withdrawal.
The street pressure was significant. Since Thursday, thousands of people had protested across various districts, blocking entry points to the region through Muzaffarabad as well as in Mirpur and Kotli. The strike continued despite temperatures falling below 10C, and the group had announced plans for a major long march in January if its demands were not met.
The dispute goes back to May, when the JKJAAC launched a protest around a 10-point Charter of Demands. Those demands included subsidised flour, electricity at production cost, improved financial integration with Pakistan, student unions and access for commercial telecommunications providers. After a May protest ended with subsidies approved, the group said several other promises had not been delivered.
The eventual compromise was limited but real. The information minister said the ordinance had been withdrawn and the group agreed to postpone its January long march, with both sides promising six months of dialogue on the remaining clauses. That makes the outcome less a victory for either side than a pause in a dispute that has already demonstrated the region's willingness to shut itself down over political and economic grievances.
The packet supports a narrow conclusion: public pressure forced a rollback, and the government chose negotiation over escalation. It does not show that the underlying demands have been resolved, only that the ordinance is gone and the next round of bargaining has been kicked down the road.
Claim-to-source map - the ordinance restricting protests was withdrawn after a four-day strike: source 2023 - the region's Supreme Court had suspended the ordinance: source 2023 - protesters had blocked entry points and threatened a long march: source 2023 - both sides agreed to six months of dialogue on the remaining demands: source 2023
