According to ARY News, the AJK government has rescinded its contentious presidential ordinance prohibiting peaceful protests. The government’s move came after successful negotiations with the Joint Public Action Committee (JAAC). It is worth mentioning that millions of people in AJK observed a completely shut down on December 5 under the call from the Jammu & Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), where not a single educational institution or shop opened, and all types of transport were suspended.
The ordinance, which introduced a 7-year jail term against one against organized demonstrations, faced widespread criticism through civil rights groups from activists for violation of constitutional rights, not limited to peaceful assembly and free expression. The law was a controversial one and encompassed concerns regarding public order versus civil liberties.
Also Read: Punjab Government Launches Karobar Card Scheme
However, now the Supreme Court of AJK has suspended its operation, having accepted the appeals against the high court ruling that upheld the ordinance. Earlier in the year, for all the travel and transport woes in the region, three lost their lives to street battle agitations as police fought against activists over the protests on the rising inflation.
The rescission of the ordinance is claimed to be a bend of civil rights, with JAAC reiterating and emphasizing by other groups the need to abide in Azad Jammu and Kashmir by its democratic freedoms.