MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday witnessed an overwhelming shutter-down and wheeljam strike on the second consecutive day amid intermittent skirmishes between law enforcers and activists in the state capital Muzaffarabad. The atmosphere was highly charged following the death of one person and injuries to several others a day earlier.

Although government offices remained open, attendance was thin for want of transport. Banks were also open but hardly saw any client. All private businesses and shops, including medical stores, remained closed. Even street vendors were nowhere to be seen.

Angry youngsters, some carrying batons, blocked intercity roads in many areas of the state capital till afternoon by placing different obstacles and torching bushes.

Nevertheless, some private vehicles and motorcycles were seen running through the roads sporadically, without facing serious resistance from the activists.

On receiving information about blockades, police personnel swiftly rushed to clear the road obstacles.

Skirmishes reported between activists of JKJAAC and law enforcers in Muzaffarabad; angry youngsters block inter-city roads in many areas

According to witnesses, at several such places they lobbed tear gas shells to quell disturbance and also made arrests.

In some areas, law enforcers were also pelted with stones from the mountain slopes, forced them to retreat to safety.

On Tuesday, there were reports of minor casualties on both sides, but these could not be verified as government officials refrained from sharing anything with the media.

Authentic figures of detainees could not be obtained either.

This correspondent tried to reach out to a number of senior officials, but their staff said “they were busy in meetings and unable to take calls”. One senior police official did attend the call after several attempts, but declined to confirm or contradict the number of detainees.

By the afternoon, thousands of people gathered at Muzaffarabad’s Lal Chowk where Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) leaders, including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, addressed them.

“A state is like a mother, but unfortunately ours has turned out to be a witch that killed its own children,” fumed Mr Mir.

On Monday, Muhammad Sudhir, a 30-year-old shopkeeper belonging to Neelum Valley, was killed in Muzaffarabad after sustaining gunshot wounds.

The JKJAAC alleged the shots were fired by the participants of a government-backed rally, led by Raja Saqib Majeed of Muslim Conference.

Late on Monday night, relatives and other activists had placed his body on the main artery in Chehla Bandi negibourhood to press the authorities for registration of an FIR against Mr Majeed and other accused.

The body was removed only after their demands were met.

“We have full recording evidence as to who fired upon peaceful protesters and at whose behest,” Mr Mir said.

Reports from Rawalakot said that thousands of people had assembled at Tourism Chowk, but police avoided confronting them.

According to local journalists, the participants might start a march on Wednesday either to some entry points or straight to Muzaffarabad.

In Dadyal, where tensions had escalated immensely in a similar protest in May last year, thousands of people threw huge containers into the river from Palaak Bridge where they had been placed by the administration, apparently to block movement between Kotli and Mirpur district.

Media affected

Meanwhile, the absolute suspension of internet and mobile phone services since Sunday hit the journalist community hard as no local newspaper could be published for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

Many of those working for the national and international media, as well as some of the vloggers, had to travel to Garhi Habibullah in the neighbouring KP, from where they filed their stories and uploaded the stuff on Sunday and Monday.

But on Tuesday it was learnt that internet services had also been snapped in Garhi Habibullah, forcing some of the journalists to travel up to Mansehra for filing reports.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2025