A banned group’s call for a strike halts business and transport across Pakistan-administered Kashmir

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Shops and businesses shut down, and public transport halted across Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Tuesday after a call for a strike by a recently banned group, known for violent protests.

The Joint Awami Action Committee ‘s call follows clashes on Sunday in the city of Rawalakot between the group’s supporters and security personnel that left seven dead. The violence erupted after the Supreme Court of Pakistan-administered Kashmir ruled that 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment.

The JAAC, formed in 2003, demands greater political rights for the people of Kashmir and the abolition of the refugee seats.

Residents of the regional capital, Muzaffarabad, and other towns told The Associated Press markets were largely empty and bus terminals deserted on Tuesday. However, it wasn’t clear if people were taking part in the strike or avoiding public spaces out of fear of renewed clashes.

Authorities have deployed additional police and security personnel in the region and suspended internet services in major cities to prevent people from joining the march.

The group called for Tuesday’s “long march” from Rawalakot to Muzaffarabad and a strike before the recent violence. Witnesses said thousands of supporters gathered in the eastern city of Mirpur to travel to Rawalakot, where Shaukat Nawaz Mir and other JAAC leaders were expected to begin the march toward Muzaffarabad.

The regional government ordered on Tuesday sedition charges be filed against Mir and another leader of the group, Mehran Arshad Khawaja, accusing them of inciting rebellion through speeches and online content.

Both have been prominent figures in anti-government protests in the region in recent years.

Earlier on Tuesday, the government announced a reward of 10 million rupees ($35,000) for information leading to the arrest of four wanted members of the group, including Mir, and said the identities of informants would remain confidential.

Meanwhile, police said they “arrested five suspects” during a raid in Muzaffarabad and seized weapons and hand grenades. The statement said an investigation was ongoing and that preliminary evidence suggested some of the five were in contact with “a hostile intelligence agency from a neighboring country,” without providing further details.

Police and the regional government accused armed supporters of the JAAC of opening fire on officers during Sunday’s clashes, the deadliest the region has seen in years. During similar unrest last year, several officers were abducted and tortured after being taken captive.

The regional government banned the JAAC last week, citing concerns about public order and security, and detained dozens of its supporters.

Regional Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said Monday he remained open to talks with the group’s representatives. He said the government had accepted most of the JAAC’s demands during last year’s negotiations, except for the abolition of refugee seats and the end of benefits given to government officials and ministers, which, due to constitutional constraints, have to be addressed by the Legislative Assembly.

The refugee seats are kept for people who migrated to Pakistan from Indian-controlled Kashmir decades ago and are intended to represent communities displaced by the long-running conflict over the Himalayan region. The JAAC argues that they give disproportionate influence to people living outside the territory.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India, both of which claim it in its entirety and have fought two wars over the territory since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.

Tensions have been rising for weeks ahead of elections scheduled for next month.

The current Legislative Assembly has completed its term, and political debate has intensified over the future of the refugee seats following the court ruling.