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MUZAFFARABAD: Shops reopened and mobile services resumed in Azad Kashmir’s capital on Saturday after days of violent anti-government protests ended under a deal between demonstrators and authorities.

The agreement followed nearly a week of unrest led by traders and civil rights groups demanding better public services and subsidies in the disputed region that is part of the larger Himalayan valley of Kashmir claimed by both India and Pakistan. 

Thousands had taken to the streets in Muzaffarabad and nearby towns, calling for reforms in electricity pricing and government spending. Clashes between protesters and security forces left at least six civilians and three police officers dead, officials said.

Kashmir, divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from Britain in 1947, has a long history of political discontent. In the latest protests, demonstrators accused local leaders in Azad Kashmir of neglecting health, education and infrastructure while prioritizing perks for officials. Under the agreement that ended the unrest, Islamabad pledged new projects wort $35 million to upgrade electricity supplies and other public services.

“Our demands have been accepted, and this is the result of our long struggle,” said Choudhury Rafiqe Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Muzaffarabad.

“Most of our issues have been resolved, and this has been made possible by the grace of Allah. Even though we suffered losses in our businesses along the way, we have no regrets, because what has been achieved is in the interest of the nation, and we are proud of it.”

Another resident, Shujat Kazmi, said the movement had exposed the disconnect between political elites and ordinary citizens and praised the Joint Awami Action Committee civil alliance that led the protests. 

“The Awami Action Committee is the only force that truly represents the people,” he said. “Political parties have become irrelevant because they have abandoned their original agenda. They were engaged in self-serving politics, flattering the ruling elite, and pursuing personal gains instead of speaking for the public.”

He said it was only the Awami Action Committee and the people who took matters into their own hands. 

“The people had, in a way, sparked a new revolution,” Kazmi said. 

Officials said calm had returned to Muzaffarabad as roads were cleared, businesses reopened, and communication lines restored. The government said it would continue talks with community representatives to prevent a repeat of the unrest.
 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Sunday warned that any fresh Indian aggression would be met with a stronger response, saying New Delhi’s military and political leaders were trying to restore credibility after suffering setbacks during a brief but intense war with Pakistan in May 2025.

Asif’s remarks followed comments by India’s army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who told soldiers near the Pakistan border on Friday Islamabad must stop “backing terror” if it wanted to “remain on the world map.” Dwivedi said India would not show the restraint it exercised during a brief war with Pakistan in May this year, in which, according to the Indian army, nine facilities inside Pakistan were hit and more than 100 Pakistani soldiers and militants killed.

The May 2025 hostilities — the most serious confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years — saw Pakistan and India exchange missile, drone and artillery strikes for four days before an uneasy ceasefire was restored through US mediation. 

“The statements by Indian military and political leaders are a failed attempt to restore their lost credibility,” Asif wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 

“After such a decisive defeat with a score of 0–6, if they try again, the score god willing will be much better than before. … This time India will be buried under the wreckage of its own planes.”

Pakistan has said it shot down six Indian fighter jets during the May conflict, including the French-made Rafale. India has acknowledged some losses but denied losing six aircraft. Last week, the Indian air chief said India had downed five Pakistani fighter jets of the F-16 and JF-17 class during the intense May fighting.

The conflict, the worst between the old foes in decades, was sparked by an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April, which New Delhi said was backed by Pakistan. Islamabad denied involvement in the Kashmir attack, which killed 26 men and was the worst assault on civilians in India since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.

India said in July that three “terrorists” involved in the attack had been killed, and there was “lot of proof” that they were Pakistanis.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry had questioned the credibility of India’s account of the events, saying it was “replete with fabrications.”

Ties between the countries, which have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, have been downgraded since the attack, with the impact being felt in areas ranging from trade and travel to sports.

Pakistan’s military has also responded to the Indian army chief’s threats, calling them “delusional, provocative and jingoistic” and warning that a renewed conflict “might lead to cataclysmic devastation” and that Pakistan “shall not hold back” if hostilities resume.

“Those seeking to establish a new normal must know that Pakistan has established a new normal of response, which will be swift, decisive and destructive,” the ISPR said, adding that any attempt to erase Pakistan from the map “will be mutual.”

India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since independence in 1947, remain at a virtual diplomatic standstill since the 2025 clashes, trading accusations of cross-border militancy and military provocation.