MUZAFFARABAD – As situation remained tensed in Azad Kashmir amid recent agitation, government officials firmly opposed claims that entry points to Azad Kashmir have been closed, while residents, transporters, and local sources continue to report shortages of food, fuel, medicines, and other essential supplies in several affected areas.
Authorities said all major entry points between Pakistan and Azad Kashmir remain fully operational. At BrarKot checkpoint in Mansehra, officials said people from both Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to cross freely after routine documentation and security checks.
Trucks carrying food, medicines, and other essential commodities are moving normally without restrictions. Muzaffarabad DC dismissed reports of a supply crisis, saying there is no shortage of food in the district and that transportation of essential goods remains uninterruptedm and that security personnel deployed at entry points are conducting only routine inspections and are not preventing the movement of people or commercial vehicles.
Drivers transporting food supplies and traders dealing in essential commodities echoed the official position, saying that cargo vehicles continue to reach their destinations. Officials also pointed to videos circulating from various checkpoints, arguing that they contradict claims of complete road closures and expose what they describe as misleading information spread by “trouble-makers.”
Despite the official assurances, protesters shared different picture. Many claim they are facing severe shortages of flour, rice, sugar, pulses, medicines, petrol, and other daily necessities as transportation disruptions continue to affect supply chains. Some residents allege that police prevented them from carrying food, fuel, and medicines to family members living in affected areas.
There is currently no policy aimed at blocking food supplies but acknowledge that petrol deliveries have been intentionally restricted as part of a planned administrative strategy. Authorities maintain they are unaware of any official orders preventing food shipments from reaching affected communities.
The valley’s only main road linking it with Muzaffarabad has reportedly remained blocked by protesters for nearly two weeks, severely disrupting daily life. Although grocery stores and pharmacies have been permitted to reopen in certain locations, most businesses remain closed.
The suspension of SCO internet services however disrupted banking operations, leaving ATMs largely inaccessible and making cash withdrawals difficult for many families.
Banned JAAC protest also dealt blow to Neelum Valley’s tourism industry during what is normally the peak summer season. Hotels, guest houses, restaurants, and tourist attractions remain largely deserted, prompting business owners to appeal for an immediate resolution to the dispute before further economic damage occurs.
Authorities maintained that the overall law-and-order situation remains under control, denying that food supplies are being officially blocked and stating that police facilitate the movement of trucks carrying essential goods once they clear protest areas. Officials also say the temporary fuel restrictions may be reviewed in the coming days.
JAAC wanted to spread chaos in AJK society: Kashmiri leaders
