PoJK shutdown call exposes Pakistan’s grip and repressive tactics

MUZAFFARABAD: Tensions are rising in Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) after the Neelum Valley Public Action Committee leader, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, announced a complete shutdown of the entire region to press for public demands.

The call has triggered widespread debate, as the PoJK government has vowed to crush the movement with force if it proceeds.

Shaukat Nawaz Mir, speaking on behalf of the Public Action Committee, warned that the people's patience has reached its limit and that the shutdown is a direct response to years of government neglect and corruption. He argued that citizens are deprived of fundamental rights, including proper healthcare, education, infrastructure, and clean water, while resources are wasted on political patronage and bribery.

The government's declaration that it will use force against protesters has further fuelled public anger. Local lawyers have thrown their weight behind the Public Action Committee, calling the shutdown a democratic right and urging the government to address the people's grievances rather than respond with suppression.

"Public demands must be met, not crushed," a senior lawyer in Muzaffarabad stated, adding that the legal community would stand in solidarity with the protestors. (ANI)

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