The confrontation between the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and the so called government in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir has entered a new phase.
The protest leadership is asking people to stock two months of rations ahead of a major announcement after October 4, even as the administration signals a tougher approach towards renewed agitation.
In a declaration issued from Rawalakot on Monday, the JAAC asked traders to keep their shops open from September 28 to October 3 and urged residents to use the six days to prepare themselves for the next phase of the movement.
The Committee advised families to arrange food and essential supplies sufficient for two months, an unusual appeal indicating that its leadership is preparing for the possibility of a prolonged shutdown or disruption.
It said an “extremely important call” would be issued after October 4 and asked people to make full preparations before then.
The JAAC did not specify the nature of the proposed action. However, there is growing expectation within protest circles that the next phase could include a territory-wide shut down and closure of entry points connecting Pakistan-administered Kashmir with Pakistan.
The Committee said it would not abandon what it described as the people’s fundamental rights and would continue its struggle until its demands were addressed.
The declaration has once again brought Rawalakot to the centre of the confrontation. A sit-in here has continued for several weeks and has become one of the principal organisational centres of the movement.
October 4 has particular significance in the dispute.
It marks the period when the government and the Action Committee reached an agreement last year after days of protests and confrontation. Protest leaders have repeatedly maintained that several provisions of that agreement remain unimplemented.
The government disputes this assertion and says considerable progress has been made on legitimate and practicable demands, particularly those relating to public welfare.
The disagreement over implementation has remained at the heart of the continuing agitation despite elections and the installation of a new government.
While the streets remained relatively quiet on September 26 and 27, the latest developments suggest the lull may represent a period of preparation rather than an end to the confrontation.
