MUZAFFARABAD: The death of a young woman after falling from a cliff on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad on Saturday has triggered widespread outrage across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with demands for the harshest punishment for those accused of harassing couples under the guise of “moral policing” to extort money or valuables.

According to a police spokesperson, the incident occurred at about 1:15pm near Mera Tanolian village on Pir Chinasi Road, when Aqeel Ahmed and his tenant Fakhra Amjad — both residents of the Plate neighbourhood in Muzaffarabad — had stopped their Mehran car by the roadside while returning from a drive.

Three to four men, one of them a police constable in plainclothes, confronted the pair, deemed their presence “suspicious” and began beating Aqeel.

During the assault, Ms Amjad got out of the car and tried to flee, but fell approximately 100–120 feet down a mountainside into a ravine, sustaining critical head injuries.

Aqeel, also injured, tried to take her to hospital, but she died on the way. Police arrested Aqeel and Amir, son of Gul Zaman — a police constable from Mera Tanolian posted elsewhere — and were searching for the remaining suspects, the spokesperson said, adding legal proceedings had been initiated.

The incident sparked street protests and a wave of online condemnation of so-called “moral brigades” accused of harassing and blackmailing couples for extortion.

On Sunday, dozens gathered outside the press club, demanding to know under what law anyone could question people about their relationships or reasons for visiting tourist spots.

Shahid Zaman Awan, a civil society activist, said if police had done their job, there would have been no need for the protest.

“Instead of swooping on those who caused the girl’s death, they have arrested the boy who accompanied her. This is the worst example of traditional police tactics,” he said.

According to many netizens, such incidents had been occurring in this and some other areas as well for a long time, but most victims would avoid reporting them to the police or speaking out publicly.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2025