ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Sehbaz Sharif has expressed concern over the situation in Azad Kashmir where protests launched by masses against rising taxes and power tariffs continued for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.
He said that holding peaceful protests was the legal rights of the citizens but political point scoring and taking the law into hand and damaging public and private property would not be allowed. In a post on X, he said he had talked to the prime minister Azad Kashmir and directed the PML-N AJK chapter to talk to leaders of the action committee.
On the other hand, the state administration failed to hold talks with the protesters and restored order. The masses have launched rallies from different towns to state capital and clashed with police who tried to stop them on way to the state capital. Earlier, a police officer lost his life while scores of people were injured.
On the call of the Awami Action Committee, the local people observed strikes and protests in different areas of the state for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday and announced to continue the protests and long marches to Muzaffarabad.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari asked all stakeholders to exercise restraint and resolve the issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir through dialogue. He was talking to a delegation of members of the AJK Legislative Assembly belonging to Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians who called on him in Islamabad.
The president said political parties, state institutions and the people of AJK should act responsibly so that hostile elements could not exploit the situation to their benefit. The delegation briefed the president about recent happenings and unfortunate developments in AJK.
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