Kashmir is facing its worst economic crisis. According to a local official on the 12th, in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, as protests against increases in food, fuel, and public utility costs are intensifying, one police officer has died, and dozens have been injured as a result. Authorities stated that some Kashmiri merchants closed their stores to join the protest on Saturday, and a police officer died while trying to suppress the protest in Dadial village.
Kashmir’s Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq expressed his willingness to consider the protesters’ demands and urged them not to engage in violence.
Pakistan’s President, Asif Ali Zardari, also convened a meeting to discuss ways to calm the protests.
Meanwhile, Pakistan narrowly avoided defaulting on its foreign debt payments last year thanks to loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a few friendly nations.
The country’s monthly inflation rate had once exceeded 40%, but authorities reported that it had dropped to 17% in anticipation of new financial negotiations with the IMF for a new bailout.
If negotiations are finalized in the coming months, Pakistan is expected to receive a minimum of $6 billion in aid from the IMF.
Most Commented