KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 24 people have been killed, 97 others injured and 515 detained during ongoing protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, according to a media report on Saturday.
The region has also witnessed widespread shutdowns, road blockades and internet disruptions amid the unrest.
The protests began ahead of a strike called against the allocation of 12 reserved seats for refugees in the upcoming elections for the region’s 45-seat legislative assembly, Sky News reported.
The seats were reserved for people displaced from Indian-administered Kashmir, according to the report.
Quoting the regional police chief, Sky News said four police officers were also killed during clashes with protesters.
The strike was organised by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which was recently declared a banned organisation by the Pakistani government. Thousands of supporters gathered on the outskirts of Rawalakot, around 100 kilometres south of Muzaffarabad.
The report added that, in response to the protests, Pakistani authorities blocked major roads, suspended internet services and restricted media access in large parts of the region.
In Muzaffarabad, several markets and businesses have remained closed, banking services have been disrupted due to the internet shutdown and petrol stations have also been ordered to close by authorities.
kk/sa
