Pakistan-administered Kashmir repeals protest restrictions after strike

The climbdown in the geopolitically sensitive region comes amid growing anger against the administration.

Islamabad, Pakistan – After a four-day wheel-jam strike and the shutdown of markets and civic activities, the government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has announced the withdrawal of a presidential ordinance that restricted “unregistered organisations” from holding protests without permission.

The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance 2024, introduced last month, was widely criticised by protesters in the region, who called it a state tactic to suppress demonstrations after the government failed to fulfil its promises.

Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a core member of the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), said negotiations with the government over the weekend led to Sunday’s withdrawal of the ordinance, which had been issued by Sultan Mahmood, the president of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“The government aimed to disrupt the JKJAAC and its planned long march next year by introducing this ordinance, but they underestimated the power of the people,” Mir told Al Jazeera.

The group, which consists of civil society members in the region, including traders, academics, lawyers and other communities, had announced in October that it would launch a major march on January 23 to force the government to fulfil a set of demands issued in May.

Since Thursday, thousands of people across various districts have protested in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, blocking major entry points to the region through its capital, Muzaffarabad, as well as other major cities, including Mirpur and Kotli.

Pir Muhammad Mazhar Saeed Shah, the region’s information minister, confirmed the withdrawal of the ordinance after protesters