For decades, the people of Azad Kashmir received subsidised wheat flour as part of an arrangement that acknowledged their unique political status. When Pakistan began cutting these subsidies, it triggered one of the largest protest movements in the region’s history.
What the Subsidy Meant
For many families in AJK, subsidised wheat flour was not a luxury — it was a necessity. The subsidy kept bread prices affordable for low-income households in a region where economic opportunities are limited. When the subsidy was reduced, the impact was immediate and severe.
The Government’s Justification
Pakistani government officials argued the subsidy was fiscally unsustainable and AJK needed to move toward market pricing. For policymakers in Islamabad, it was an economic adjustment. For families in Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, and Rawalakot, it was the removal of their safety net.
The Protests
The JAAC-led protests were not simply about bread. They were about a pattern of neglect — a sense that the Pakistani state views AJK as strategically important but economically expendable. The sheer scale of the protests, which brought entire cities to a standstill, demonstrated how deeply this sense of abandonment runs.
Kashmeeriyat calls on the Pakistani government to restore food subsidies in AJK and to approach the economic development of Pakistan-administered Kashmir as a genuine priority.