Description: Pakistan’s Federal Government dispatched negotiators in the Pakistani – administered region of the Kashmir province where deadly protests over the last couple of days have prompted the local government to impose a complete media blackout. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) the regional governmental body has outlined 38 demanding points to the Pakistani government in line with a previous agreement concluded earlier this year in Feb. The protests originate in 2023, where the local population has demanded subsidies from the Pakistani government for lowering the cost of living expenses and shortages in what they labeled as elite – sponsored governance. The newest demands also included cutting the votes from the Indian immigrants in the regional council, which has spurred potential for political tensions. The protests have so far resulted in the deaths of nine people, while Pakistan has deployed additional paramilitary forces and police in the region.
Impact: The regional protests in the Pakistani administered Kashmir originating from economic needs by the local population have rapidly escalated into deadly encounters with the local security forces. The protesters and representatives of the local government are actively engaged in negotiations with Pakistan’s federal government representatives which indicates that the issues could be rapidly surmounted in case the negotiations materialize in the upcoming period. The media blackout coupled with the deployment of paramilitary and police forces stokes tensions and supports the narrative of the protests protracting over the next week, potentially becoming more deadly. The volatility in the region is additionally elevated by demands such as exclusion of the Indian minority in the regional council which could potentially escalate tensions with India in the disputed province.