MUZAFFARABAD: Despite the Supreme Court of the territory suspending the law and the government’s insistence that protests were unjustified, a coalition of civil society organizations spearheading a rights movement in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Wednesday reiterated their call for a state-wide strike against a contentious presidential ordinance.
Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) leaders urged public support for Thursday’s strike as they maintained their mass mobilization efforts throughout AJK. At a press conference, however, four cabinet members contended that demonstrations were unwarranted because the Supreme Court had suspended the decree.
The Supreme Court’s decision has strengthened the system’s integrity and demonstrated that decisions are made in accordance with the law, not in the streets. With colleagues Sardar Javed Ayoub, Abdul Majid Khan, and Nisar Ansar Abdali at his sides, Information Minister Pir Mazhar Saeed declared, “Everyone has a duty to respect the rulings of the highest court.”
“Azad Kashmir is a peaceful and hospitable region, and strikes and protests tarnish its image,” the minister continued, calling for a stop to the strike culture.
The government maintains that protests are unwarranted because the Supreme Court suspended the ordinance.
Divergent opinions on the strike were widely shared on social media. The Supreme Court had just postponed the ordinance’s operation until the case’s ultimate adjudication, not repealed it, according to some anti-strike speakers, while others reiterated the cabinet’s stance.
“We are fighting for the state’s people’ fundamental rights, which are being jeopardized by this law. According to JKJAAC core committee member Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a nonviolent strike will make the public’s dedication to civil liberties very evident.
Additionally, he claimed that the government intended to reverse wheat and electricity assistance, a claim that the information minister categorically denied as “baseless propaganda.”
On Wednesday, Muzaffarabad witnessed an atypical surge at supermarkets and stores selling fruits, vegetables, and poultry, resulting in traffic jams at multiple locations.
A vegetable vendor in the city’s historic district said, “It feels like Chand Raat, the festive night on the eve of Eid.”
While factions of the transporters’ union in the districts of Muzaffarabad and Jhelum Valley declared they will run public transportation as usual on Thursday, reports from Mirpur showed a divided traders’ community.
The information minister thanked organizations such as trade associations, bar councils, and associations of medical stores that have distanced themselves from the strike.
He cautioned, “Those who choose to voluntarily close their businesses may do so, but no one will be permitted to coerce others into closing or contest the government’s writ.”
He denied reports that access points would be closed, declared that all routes would continue to operate normally, and charged opponents with disseminating false information.
The administration has chosen to postpone the creation of a wide-ranging consultative committee on the ordinance until the Supreme Court issues its final decision, the information minister said in response to a query.
Government workers were also cautioned against missing work in the interim. Doctors, paramedics, and other affiliated workers were instructed in a health department circular to guarantee 100% biometric attendance on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. In a similar vein, AJK University in Muzaffarabad declared that classes would resume on Thursday as usual.
Nonetheless, a few private schools declared their closure on Thursday due to parents’ worries about possible transportation issues.
PTI supports the strike call.
Relatedly, it was claimed that Imran Khan, the imprisoned founder of the PTI, supported the walkout, calling the ordinance a “black law designed to suppress democratic values and public rights.”
The PTI chairman had instructed party cadres to wholeheartedly support and take part in nonviolent protests against the ordinance, according to a circular released by Mir Attiqur Rehman, the party’s regional secretary-general. Until the law is repealed, Mr. Rehman encouraged PTI lawmakers, office holders, and employees to support JKJAAC.
Dr. Muhammad Mushtaq, the AJK emir of Jamaat-i-Islami, condemned the ordinance and insisted that the majority of the JKJAAC’s requests were legitimate. However, he made it clear that his party will pursue its own public rights campaign rather than joining a collective action.
