(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Muzaffarabad – After five days of violent unrest that left at least 10 people dead and hundreds injured, the Pakistan government and protest leaders in Pakistani side of Kashmir (PoK) signed a 25-point agreement late Friday night to end the mass demonstrations that had paralysed the region.

The deal, reached following marathon negotiations between a federal delegation and the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), comes as a relief to residents of the mountainous territory where a strike called on September 29 had escalated into deadly clashes with security forces.

The protests erupted when talks collapsed between officials and the JKJAAC, a representative body of traders, activists and civil society groups that had tabled a 38-point charter of demands earlier this year.

Clashes between demonstrators and security forces left six civilians and three police officers dead, according to officials, while nearly 172 policemen and around 50 civilians sustained injuries. Protesters accused paramilitary forces of opening fire, while authorities blamed“miscreants” for instigating violence.

The unrest triggered a sweeping communications blackout across the region, with mobile and internet services cut for almost a week. Public transport and markets came to a halt, leaving daily life for the nearly four million residents in limbo.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed alarm at the violence, stating on X that it was“deeply alarmed by the ongoing violence” and condemning both the“excessive force” used against protestors and the communications blackout.

The Agreement

The breakthrough came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dispatched a high-powered team led by former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to Muzaffarabad for talks. The delegation engaged in two days of negotiations, concluding late Friday.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced the deal on X, writing:
“Negotiating delegation has signed the final agreement with the Action Committee. The protesters are returning to their homes. All roads have been reopened. This is a victory for peace.”

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