Srinagar, Jun 10 (KNS): More than 1.5 lakh people participated in protests in Muzafarabad on Wednesday, a day after a security crackdown allegedly left 11 civilians dead, according to a media report.
The protests, led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), were held in several areas, including Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Kotli and Mirpur.
The report said demonstrators were protesting against rising electricity and wheat prices and accusing Pakistani authorities of suppressing dissent and ignoring demands related to governance and representation.
According to the report, major protest caravans from different parts of PoK are expected to converge in Rawalakot before marching towards Muzaffarabad to press for a charter of 38 demands.
Pakistani authorities have intensified restrictions in the region, the report said, adding that sedition cases had been registered against some protest leaders and a bounty announced on four organisers.
Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelAuthorities have also blocked roads leading to Muzaffarabad to prevent protesters from reaching the city, it said.
The report claimed that clashes between protesters and security personnel in recent days left 11 civilians dead and more than 100 injured, triggering widespread anger in the region.
India has condemned the killings and described them as a "massacre", saying the incident highlighted the denial of fundamental rights to people living in territories under Pakistan's control.
The ongoing protests are being viewed as one of the most significant challenges to Pakistan's authority in the region in recent years, with tensions remaining high following the recent violence, according to the report.(KNS).