(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) After days of violent unrest, an agreement was signed on Saturday between the federal government and protest leaders in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (POK), bringing a tentative end to demonstrations that left at least 10 people dead and hundreds injured.

The Pakistan government has accepted all 38 demands put forth by the Jammu & Kashmir Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on Saturday.

The breakthrough was reportedly achieved after two rounds of high-level talks between the government representatives and JAAC, which has been spearheading the agitation.

The protests began on September 29 following a breakdown in talks overthe 38-point charter of demands.

Here's what you need to know about the unrest, its causes, and what comes next.

What triggered the protests?

The roots of the current unrest date back to May 2023, when residents protested against what they said were 'skyrocketing electricity bills' and 'shortages in subsidised flour'. Allegations of wheat smuggling added fuel to the anger.

By September 2023, these grievances had coalesced into the formation of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) – a coalition of traders, civil society groups, and grassroots activists across POK.

In May 2024, the JAAC staged a long march to Muzaffarabad that turned deadly, killing at least five people, including a police officer. Protests paused after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced subsidies on flour and cuts in electricity tariffs.

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