After several ups and downs, including a clash between locals and forces on March 24 which left around three dozen persons injured, the local district administration on Tuesday finally managed to break the prevailing deadlock in Nowshera after series of meetings were held between the administration and Joint Action Committee Nowshera and people decided to suspend the agitation for a period of three months.
After the suspension of agitation, business establishments in Nowshera started to open on Tuesday.
As per details with Greater Kashmir, a series of hectic meetings were convened between JAC Nowshera and district administration since Monday evening. “Deputy Commissioner Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary convened a meeting with the JAC in his office, where SSP Yougal Manhas, In-charge ADC Nowshera Abdul Sattar, SDPO Khaliq Choudhary and other officers discussed the various contours of the ongoing agitation and impressed upon the members of JAC to suspend the strike for projection of demands,” the official spokesman said.
Detailed deliberations were held about the issues involved in the ongoing agitation and public demands discussed from time to time. The authorities in the district administration underlined that as an outcome of agitation there is no likelihood for any further development in view of ADC posts sanctioned for Nowshera, Kalakote and Sunderbani, hence there is a need to suspend the agitation and project the demands to concerned offices and department as the state government is sensitive to the public demands in a rightful manner, the spokesman added.
In these meetings, the JAC discussed several demands like establishing full-fledged ADC office at Nowshera, not to abolish SDM post, establishment of ARTO Office, State Board of School Education branch, creation of AD Planning and Statistics post, post of Assistant Director Food Supply, police district, restoration of Mechinical Irrigation Division Officer and Forest Protection Force office sanctioned for Nowshera, on which the district administration advised that all these issues required proper administrative and executive projection at the government level for consideration and appropriate decision.
“Demands related to adequate compensation and aid to people injured in March 24 clash in Nowshera and some issues related to police FIRs were also projected by the JAC,” said sources privy to the Monday evening meeting.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a detailed meeting was again held between district administration and JAC at Nowshera in which JAC handed over a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner and suspended the strike for a period of three months, enabling the authorities for consideration of demands which also include compensation to the injured persons and issues related to FIRs.
Later, the senior officers along with JAC, traders and shopkeepers moved to the main market and opened the shops. They also conducted the round of market.
The DC asked the JAC members to constitute a 5-member team for active coordination with district administration and higher authorities on a host of issues, which also included those projected in the memorandum. He also thanked the general public for their active cooperation and understanding in resolving the issue.
It is pertinent to mention here that the agitation in Nowshera went on for 47 days, with locals demanding a separate district.