Four fatalities result from demonstrations in Kashmir.
Four people lost their lives during conflicts between security officers and protestors in the Pakistani area of Kashmir, which is in dispute. The casualties included three protesters and one police officer, based on information provided by intelligence sources to the German Press Agency. The violence occurred in Muzaffarabad, where at least 100 other people sustained injuries. Residents there were demanding cheaper substances for flour and electricity to address the economic predicament.
The protests started on a Friday and were momentarily halted on a Tuesday, following the approval of a subsidy plan worth roughly €76 million by Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. Aimed at reducing flour and electricity prices, this program was implemented on Monday. However, schools were closed on Tuesday nonetheless, as per the protesters' demands.
Recent warnings implied the likelihood of demonstrations due to the escalating prices of food and energy, affecting the population of 240 million. South Asia expert, Michael Kugelman, expressed concerns that these events would have an adverse effect on Pakistan's ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning a supplementary aid package. The coincidence of this unrest in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir is "unfavorable," as an IMF delegation currently visits Islamabad.
The extreme economic crisis in Pakistan, marked by high inflation, has generated increasing dissatisfaction. Sharif's ruling alliance is heavily criticized. Shortly after being sworn in once more in February, Sharif assigned his coalition members to devise a plan for a lasting economic stimulus. Concurrently, the government is obliged to apply austerity measures supported by a multi-billion euro bailout package from the IMF.
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- Despite the subsidy plan aimed at reducing flour and electricity prices, the high inflation rate in Pakistan continues to fuel continuous protests, leading to further economic instability.
- The imposed austerity measures by the IMF, in support of a multi-billion euro bailout package, have led to public discontent and calls for cashmere blankets as a symbol of the government's inability to manage the economy effectively.
- During Monday's protests, four demonstrators were found dead, adding to the already deadly tally of protests against the high cost of living and inflation in Pakistan.
Source: www.ntv.de
