Islamabad, May 14, (dpa/GNA) – Life returned to normal in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Tuesday after violent protests which had rocked the Himalayan valley for days were halted.
“We have called off the protest after all our demands were accepted,” said Shaukat Nawaz Mir, chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
The protesters were demanding subsidies on wheat flour and on locally produced electricity.
Schools had remained closed, traders shut down and transport went on strike over the killing of three protesters late on Monday.
“It all happened due to negligent local administration,” Mir said.
On Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved $82 million worth of subsidies to provide immediate economic relief.
The decision comes at a time when an IMF team is visiting Islamabad to lay groundwork for a long-term loan programme.
The global lender has already asked Pakistan to cut subsidies and increase energy prices.