The Pakistan Army’s puppet-President of PoJK, Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, has ordered the revocation of the controversial “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance, 2024,” following widespread protests and unrest across the region. The decision came after a week of intense civil action spearheaded by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a coalition of civil society activists fighting for regional rights.
The ordinance, which had been criticized for stifling basic freedoms and suppressing peaceful assembly, had sparked outrage among PoJK’s residents, who feel increasingly disenfranchised under Pakistan’s rule. In response to growing public outrage, President Chaudhry directed PoJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq to release all individuals detained under the ordinance, signaling a rare, though reluctant, step by the occupied-government to defuse tensions.
Despite the move, protests have continued, with JAAC-led marches from Rawalakot, Bagh, and Dheer Kot, converging at strategic entry points into PoJK. In one of the most dramatic moments of the protests, thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Kohala bridge, which links Pakistan to PoJK, braving the freezing cold to voice their anger. Another protest took place in Bararkot, where marchers demanded accountability and an end to Islamabad’s indifference to PoJK’s plight.
The protestors, largely ordinary citizens and activists, have long faced Islamabad’s neglect. The region, despite its strategic importance and natural beauty, has been left impoverished and underdeveloped, with promises of improved infrastructure and economic development largely unfulfilled. These unmet promises have led to a sense of abandonment, fueling disillusionment and a growing sense of resentment toward Pakistan.
Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a core member of JAAC, made it clear that the protests would persist unless the occupied-govt formally repeals the ordinance and ensures the release of all detained activists. While PoJK’s Information Minister, Pir Mazhar Saeed, claimed that all detainees had been released, the actions remain insufficient to quell the anger on the streets.
The protests, including a wheel-jam strike that lasted for four days, have been remarkable for their peaceful nature, with protestors emphasizing non-violence in their demands. The restraint shown by the people of PoJK is a lesson in peaceful civil disobedience, a stark contrast to Pakistan’s often heavy-handed approach to dissent.