MUZZAFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has withdrawn the controversial presidential ordinance that banned peaceful protests, following successful negotiations with the Joint Public Action Committee (JAAC), ARY News reported on Sunday.
The decision came after a complete strike was observed in AJK on December 5, with educational institutions, shops, and transport services shut down in response to a protest call by the Jammu & Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC).
The ordinance had imposed a seven-year prison sentence on individuals participating in protests within the region. Civil society groups and the committee argued that the ordinance violated citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful assembly and expression, raising concerns about the balance between public order and civil liberties in the region.
Earlier in the week, the AJK Supreme Court suspended the enforcement of the ‘Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance, 2024,’ while considering two appeals against the high court’s ruling, which had upheld the law.
In May, protests in AJK against rising inflation had ended after the government accepted the demands of the Awami Joint Action Committee.
It is worth noting that violent clashes between police and rights activists had occurred earlier this year, during a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike, leaving three people dead and several others injured.
