Violent protests against price hikes in Pakistan-held Kashmir continue for the 4th day
Violent protests against price hikes in Pakistan-held Kashmir continue for the 4th day
Protests against price hikes have continued for the fourth day in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir with demonstrators clashing with the police, officials said
ByThe Associated Press
May 13, 2024, 12:05 PM
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan -- Protests against price hikes continued for the fourth day in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir with demonstrators clashing with the police, officials said on Monday.
The violence, which gripped the region since Friday, has left at least two people dead, including a police officer, and left a hundred others injured.
The prime minister in Pakistan-held Kashmir, Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, met with the protests' organizers and said he would reduce prices of wheat and electricity, viewed by many as a barometer for the market. However, the violence continued throughout Monday in and near the capital, Muzaffarabad.
The disputed Himalayan region is divided between both nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. The two South Asian neighbors have fought three wars since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
Last year, Pakistan narrowly avoided a default on the payment of foreign debts after the International Monetary Fund and several friendly nations offered it loans. Pakistan’s monthly inflation rate at one point reached over 40%, but it has come down to 17% ahead of the talks with the IMF for a new bailout.