Abdul Jabbar Replaces Dr Sohail Tajik as Azad Kashmir IGP

Dr. Sohail Habib Tajik, formerly the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), was ousted following deadly protests over inflated bills and subsidies.

Abdul Jabbar, a BS-20 officer from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), assumes the role, replacing Dr. Sohail Habib Tajik, a BS-20 officer from the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP).

Read more: Internet Service Resumes in Azad Kashmir

The protests in Azad Kashmir resulted in clashes between police and demonstrators, leading to the death of at least one police officer and three civilians.

The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) organized the protests, demanding lower electricity bills, subsidized wheat flour, and an end to privileges for the elite.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded to the protests by announcing a Rs23 billion subsidy package for AJK, which quelled the unrest. Alongside the change in the IGP, the federal government also reassigned the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Operations Islamabad to the Federal Investigation Agency.