Three police officers were killed and nine others wounded during an attack done by armed men belong to the Awami Action Committee in Dhir Kot, Azad Kashmir, reported Express News.
Armed men affiliated with the Awami Action Committee opened fire on Wednesday against police staff, resulting in injuries. The officers who were killed include Constable Khurshid and Constable Jameel, both from Bagh, and Constable Tahir Rafi from Muzaffarabad.
Families of the deceased and wounded officers demanded that the government bring attackers to justice and impose strict sanctions.
Meanwhile, AJK prime minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq Awami Action Committee invited negotiations after violent protests in the region.
When we spoke at a joint press conference in Islamabad together with Minister of Parliament Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the prime minister said the committee had originally announced a peaceful protest but the situation escalated.
“In different areas of Azad Kashmir, furious individuals performed violent demonstrations and opened fire on the police staff, resulting in three killing officers and ten others being injured,” Haq said.
He noted that participants in the protest came from several areas and added, “If it had only been people from Kashmir, the protest might not have been violent in this way.”
HAQ repeated his call for dialogue and said, “I invite once again the leaders of the Awami Action Committee to come forward and participate in conversations. The government will recognize the legitimate demands of the protesters.”
He added that in September the government had already accepted 90 percent of the committee’s demands, yet the committee chose to announce additional protests.
AJK strikes over constitutional demands
On Monday, a shutter and wheel-jam strike kills AJK, called by Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee over constitutional demands, one, paralyzed life in major districts before escalating to violence after clashes at Neelum Bridge.
Led by JKJAAC Central -Leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir brought the strike Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Poonch, Neelum, Bhimber and Palandari. The markets remained closed, roads were blocked, and internet services were limited over large parts of Muzaffarabad, except areas bordering on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Landline, cellular and private internet networks were also largely suspended.
Tensions flared as activists at the Muslim conference and held a parallel “Aman March” to support shop owners who want to keep companies open, confronted JKJAAC demonstrants at Neelum Bridge.
Muslim conference supporters, including party leader Raja Saqib Majeed and his brother, allegedly opened fire on protesters.
“The incident trapped in viral footage on social media clearly shows the people shooting against the crowd,” said journalist Farhan Ahmed Khan. Four protesters were injured; One of them, Sudheer, later died in the hospital.
In the evening, nearly 5,000 people gathered at Lal Chowk, where Shaukat Nawaz Mir gave a fiery 17-minute speech.
He condemned the firing, accused the authorities of trying to arrange “another May 9” through their “touts” and insisted that JKJAAC did not contain any hostility to state institutions or the Pakistani army.
MIR announced that a protest would be held with Sudhe’s body in Chehlabandi on Neelum Road demanding a four and post-Mortem, of which none of them had ended.
He also called for further demonstrations at Lal Chowk on Tuesday afternoon. “False recordings are sent to imply that everything is normal,” he claimed, promising to continue protests until the requirements are met.
