While business districts reopened in Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Bagh, fresh tension gripped Rawalakot district following a fatal shooting incident amid ongoing Joint Awami Action Committee protests.
Normalcy returned to several major urban centers across Azad Kashmir on October 5 as businesses and traffic resumed operations, though protests persisted in select areas alongside a deadly shooting incident in the Rawalakot region.
The developments unfolded under a continued strike call by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), creating mixed conditions across different districts. Markets and transport networks resumed routine activities in the Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Bagh divisions, while commercial hubs remained partially restricted in Dadyal and Khursheedabad in Haveli.
Despite the partial return to routine business, student demonstrations continued on the campus of the Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), reflecting ongoing public grievances. Separately, the JAAC alleged that local authorities had sealed a merchant's shop in Bagh's Lari Adda, though official comments regarding the administrative action were not immediately available.
Tensions escalated significantly when unidentified armed individuals opened fire in the Qallan Bazaar area near Balouch. According to eyewitness accounts, an off-road vehicle traveled from Hajira toward Trarkhel and subsequently moved toward Balouch India Mor during the afternoon. Witnesses reported that a local resident attempting to record video footage of the vehicle was struck by gunfire and died at the scene.
Authorities have not yet established the identity of the attackers or the precise motive behind the shooting. Local sources noted that the vehicle traversed routes where no protest barricades or checkpoints had been established by the Action Committee.
The events of October 5 highlight the complex landscape of the ongoing regional crisis, characterized by the resumption of commercial activity in several districts alongside localized unrest and security concerns.