Pakistan-administered Kashmir repeals protest restrictions after strike 

Islamabad, Pakistan – After a four-day wheel-jam strike and the shutdown of markets and civic activities, the government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has announced the withdrawal of a presidential ordinance that restricted “unregistered organisations” from holding protests without permission.

The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance 2024, introduced last month, was widely criticised by protesters in the region, who called it a state tactic to suppress demonstrations after the government failed to fulfil its promises.

Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a core member of the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), said negotiations with the government over the weekend led to Sunday’s withdrawal of the ordinance, which had been issued by Sultan Mahmood, the president of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“The government aimed to disrupt the JKJAAC and its planned long march next year by introducing this ordinance, but they underestimated the power of the people,” Mir told Al Jazeera.

The group, which consists of civil society members in the region, including traders, academics, lawyers and other communities, had announced in October that it would launch a major march on January 23 to force the government to fulfil a set of demands issued in May.

Since Thursday, thousands of people across various districts have protested in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, blocking major entry points to the region through its capital, Muzaffarabad, as well as other major cities, including Mirpur and Kotli.

Pir Muhammad Mazhar Saeed Shah, the region’s information minister, confirmed the withdrawal of the ordinance after protesters braved cold temperatures during their successful strike.

“We are a democratic society, and our government walked the talk by allowing the public to protest peacefully and listening to their demands,” Shah told Al Jazeera.

The Kashmir Valley, a scenic but contentious Himalayan region, has been the focal point of multiple wars between Pakistan and India since both gained independence from British rule in 1947. While both countries claim the region in full, they govern separate parts of it.

With a population exceeding four million people, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, locally known as Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), has a semiautonomous government with its own president, prime minister and Supreme Court.

The roots of the latest conflict between civil society and the government date back to May when the JKJAAC launched a protest centred on their 10-point Charter of Demands.

These included demands for subsidised flour, electricity at production cost and improved financial integration with Pakistan, such as allowing regional banks to open branches across the country.

The six-day protest in May ended after then-Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved more than $80m in subsidies, reducing utility and wheat prices for residents.

However, Mir, who also serves as the secretary-general of the region’s traders body, said the government failed to fulfil its promises on other demands, such as allowing the formation of student unions and permitting commercial telecommunications service providers to operate in the region.

In October, the JKJAAC began awareness campaigns and workshops and announced the long march for January. The plan involves a series of rallies, starting from different parts of the region and converging in Muzaffarabad.

“When we announced our plan to hold a long march next year for fulfilment of our Charter of Demands, government tried to break our unity by attacking us politically and socially,” he said.

Mir accused the government of backing social media trolls who have labelled the JKJAAC as agents of India’s intelligence agencies.

“We were called stooges of Indian intelligence agencies. We were accused of being funded by foreign enemies,” Mir added.

Shah denied that the government was linked to this social media campaign.

The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance 2024, modelled on similar legislation introduced in Islamabad this year, was issued in late November.

The ordinance granted local authorities the power to assess the law and order situation before permitting public gatherings. It also mandated that gatherings occur only in designated areas and adhere to specific times and routes.

“The police started arresting our leaders and members even if they were holding their seminars and events indoors,” Mir charged.

The ordinance was challenged in court this month, and the AJK Supreme Court suspended it.

However, the JKJAAC insisted on its complete withdrawal, calling for a strike on Thursday to block the region until its demands were met.

Thousands of people came out onto the streets despite temperatures falling under 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) for the four-day strike.

Mir said the government eventually relented after protesters announced plans to march towards the Legislative Assembly and agreed to negotiations on Saturday.

“Our core demand with the government was to issue notification of complete withdrawal of the ordinance as well as release of our activists who were arrested during these protests,” he said.

Shah confirmed the successful negotiations, noting that the ordinance was withdrawn and the JKJAAC agreed to postpone their January long march.

“We never claimed this law was perfect, and everything can be improved. We agreed to take it back and signed a written agreement to engage in dialogue over the next six months to address the rest of the clauses in their Charter of Demands,” the information minister said.