Asif Mahmood
The culture of repeated strikes and disruptive shutdown politics has already caused significant damage to Pakistan’s broader economic and political stability. Over time, this pattern of agitation has contributed to political uncertainty, weakened economic continuity, and strained national development efforts. What is now increasingly concerning is that the same disruptive political culture is gradually extending towards Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan has already paid a heavy price for such practices, both in terms of economic loss and instability. It is therefore essential for the people of Azad Kashmir to understand that this form of politics, based on disruption, confrontation, and instability, does not deliver rights to the public; rather, it deepens public hardship and creates new layers of problems for ordinary citizens.
Such a politics of chaos distances people from solutions instead of bringing them closer to them. The people of Azad Kashmir now face a critical choice. They must decide whether they want to become part of constructive, positive civic engagement that strengthens society, or allow themselves to be drawn into a politics of disruption?
The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir hold a unique place in the heart of Pakistan. In recognition of this bond, and despite severe economic constraints, both the federal government and the Government of Azad Kashmir have continued to extend significant relief to the public in the form of subsidised flour, concessional electricity, improved access to healthcare and education, and sustained investment in development projects.
At a time when ordinary citizens across Pakistan are struggling under the weight of inflation, high utility costs, and taxation, Azad Kashmir continues to benefit from a comparatively extensive support system built on subsidies, grants, and federal development assistance.
Against this backdrop, the recurring question is not whether public grievances exist, because they do, but whether repeated strikes are a constructive response to those grievances. When markets shut down, it is not the powerful that bear the immediate loss. It is the small shopkeeper whose fragile income disappears. It is the daily wage labourer whose day’s earnings are lost. It is the student who cannot reach school and the patient who cannot reach a hospital. A strike may be intended as a tool of pressure, but in practice it most severely impacts those it claims to represent.
The argument that rights are achieved through disruption ignores a fundamental reality. Public life, once paralyzed, does not easily recover the lost time, income, and opportunity. Roads blocked and markets closed do not produce cheaper flour or improved electricity systems. They only deepen economic strain and social inconvenience for ordinary citizens.
Azad Kashmir’s fiscal structure further highlights the importance of stability. Its budget is significantly strengthened through federal grants, financial assistance, and development cooperation rather than internal revenue alone. When billions are being transferred for subsidies and infrastructure, the real challenge lies not in the absence of resources but in ensuring transparent and effective implementation. This is where accountability must be demanded, through institutions and dialogue, not through shutdowns that weaken the very social fabric the system depends on.
It is also important to acknowledge that many regions within Pakistan face similar, if not greater, economic pressures. Yet Azad Kashmir continues to receive special packages and targeted subsidies to reduce the burden on households. Subsidized flour and reduced electricity tariffs are not political slogans but practical interventions designed to protect the household budget of ordinary families
This is precisely why the method of protest matters as much as the message itself. Demanding rights is legitimate. Questioning governance is necessary. But the means chosen must not inflict further hardship on the population. A protest that disrupts examinations, delays medical treatment, and halts daily wages risks crossing the line from public advocacy into public harm.
The Government of Pakistan and the Government of Azad Kashmir maintain a clear position. Relief will continue. Development will proceed. Grievances will be heard. Dialogue will remain open. But the everyday life of citizens, their employment, education, healthcare, and mobility, must not be held hostage to repeated shutdowns.
Ultimately, the question facing ordinary Kashmiris is simple yet profound. Will a strike deliver the rights they seek, or will it quietly eviscerate their economy?