After an internet blackout, Pakistan’s Kashmir border with India has been engulfed in days of violent battles between police and anti-government protesters, with nine verified deaths among the few news reports that have surfaced.
On Monday, thousands of people initially flocked to the streets of Muzaffarabad to call for an end to the ruling elite’s lavish advantages, which include free energy and pricey cars. Authorities have instructed local journalists not to report the daily protests, and internet and cell phone connections have been restricted in the high mountain valley.
In what appeared to be proof of the turmoil, AFP reporters on Wednesday observed blood-stained streets covered in spent gunshot casings, glass fragments, and broken stones. In reaction to the protests, police and security personnel have descended into Muzaffarabad’s streets, using tear gas to disperse the protesters, which at their height numbered up to 6,000.
Three police officers and six civilians have been slain since Monday, the Azad Kashmir government said in an official statement on Wednesday. 50 citizens and more than 170 police officers were hurt in the “violent demonstrations,” according to a government statement.
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