JAAC protest in Rawalakot ‘dwindles’ as shutter-down strike continues across AJK

According to officials, who spo­ke to Dawn on condition of anony­mity, the central gathering at the Eidgah Ground is steadily shrinking, with most participants from other areas having quietly left. The majority of those still present are residents of nearby localities who arrive in the afternoon and return home late at night, an official said. The official maintained that law enforcement personnel had only engaged armed activists, and ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the proscribed group, stating that its members would either have to surrender or face strict legal action. Authorities have relaxed curfew-like restrictions in parts of Ra­­walakot, allowing shops to open for limited hours to aid residents. Elsewhere in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a shutter-down strike continued for the seventh consecutive day on Monday in several cities and towns, including Muzaffarabad. Both inter-city and intra-city public transport services remained entirely suspended across the region. However, private vehicles and motorcycles moved freely on the mostly empty roads. The continuous suspension of internet services has also affec­ted banking operations, leaving many local residents completely unable to access cash. In some urban areas, neighbourhood shops operated with partially raised shutters around sunset. Meanwhile, reports from several districts indicated severe shortages of medicines at pharmacies due to disrupted supplies from Abbottabad and Rawalpindi. Reports further suggested that mobile fruit and vegetable vendors operating from Suzuki pickup trucks had begun serving customers in so