A territory-wide shutdown in Kashmir has paralyzed daily life following the region’s deadliest unrest in years, with at least 24 people killed over nearly two weeks of protests.
The standoff between local authorities and supporters of the recently banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) presents a sensitive challenge for Islamabad, which has often criticized New Delhi’s handling of dissent in Indian-administered Kashmir while now facing mounting anger in territory under its own control.
The unrest erupted ahead of a June 9 strike called by the JAAC, triggered by opposition to the reservation of 12 legislative seats for refugees in the July 27 elections for the region’s 45-seat assembly. The refugees reside in Pakistan after being displaced from Indian-administered Kashmir.
Protests had already intensified in the days before the shutdown, with government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, saying at least 20 civilians were killed between June 6 and June 14 and dozens more wounded. Regional police chief Liaqat Ali Malik said four officers were killed and 97 were wounded in clashes with protesters, while 515 people were detained. Thousands of JAAC supporters are now camped on the outskirts of Rawalakot, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Muzaffarabad, the regional capital.
