After the violence of October, a new prime minister is set to take office. Protesters say that won’t change their demands.

A new prime minister is on the verge of being installed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir to replace Chaudhry Anwarul Haq. The government in this Pakistan-controlled region of the disputed Kashmir territory, officially called Azad Jammu and Kashmir by Islamabad, is all set to be led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) after at least 10 members of the legislative assembly joined the party last week. The PPP, which already led the skewed coalition government, now has the majority to nominate their candidate as the next prime minister.

This government shakeup, which has transpired after days of top-level PPP huddles, comes following violent protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir last month that left at least 10 demonstrators dead.

Mass protests have been growing in Pakistan-administered Kashmir since May 2023, aimed initially at the inflated electricity bills and wheat prices. These movements have been spearheaded by a Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a group of traders, nationalists, and activists, who have organized region-wide long marches and strikes. The JAAC put forth a charter of demands, which now features 39 points deemed representative of the concerns of the locals.

In May 2024, a long march toward Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, was carried out, resulting in a decrease in wheat flour price and electricity tariffs. However, negotiations continued between the protesters and the government over more long-term demands, such as a reduction in the perks and privileges of officials.

In October 2024, as the negotiations were ongoing, a presidential ordinance w