Government, Protesters Reach Deal to End Deadly Unrest in Azad Kashmir

The government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has reached an agreement with a civil rights alliance to end days of violent protests that left at least nine people dead, a Pakistani federal minister announced on Saturday.

The unrest erupted after the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) called for an indefinite “lockdown” beginning September 29, demanding an end to special perks for government officials, the abolition of 12 reserved assembly seats for Kashmiri migrants from the Indian-administered side, and royalty payments for hydropower projects.

Tensions escalated as clashes broke out between protesters and police across multiple districts. Authorities confirmed the deaths of six civilians and three police officers during the week-long standoff. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dispatched a high-level delegation to the region to assist local leaders in negotiations with protest organizers.

“It was the wisdom of local and national leadership and the spirit of dialogue that enabled us to resolve this standoff peacefully — without violence, without division, and with mutual respect,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, who was part of the negotiating team, said on social media platform X.

The agreement, shared publicly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, includes several key concessions. A judicial commission will be established to investigate the recent violence, the number of government ministers and secretaries will be reduced, and a committee will review the issue of reserved seats for Kashmiri migrants.

Under the deal, families of those killed in the October 1–2 clashes will receive compensation equal to that provided to law enforcement personnel. Each injured person will receive Rs1 million ($3,554), and one family member of each deceased individual will be offered a government job within 20 days.

A photograph shared by Iqbal on October 4 showed government representatives and JKJAAC members signing the agreement in Islamabad, marking an end to the deadlock that had paralyzed much of the region.

Azad Kashmir, administered by Pakistan, forms part of the larger Himalayan territory of Kashmir, which has been disputed between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Both nations claim the region in full but govern separate parts.

This is not the first time the region has faced such turmoil. In May 2024, a similar wave of protests over economic grievances and government privileges crippled public life for nearly a week. That episode ended after the federal government announced a Rs23 billion ($86 million) relief package for subsidies on flour and electricity.

Protest leaders had warned at the time that renewed demonstrations would follow if the promised reforms were not implemented — a warning that materialized this week.