Gunfire broke out during a peace rally in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on Monday, leaving at least one person dead and more than two dozen wounded, officials said. Some of the injured were in critical condition at local hospitals.

Police and government sources said armed members of the Awami Action Committee, a civil rights group that had called a strike demanding subsidised food, electricity, and other services, were responsible for initiating the violence.

Most residents ignored the strike, and demonstrations elsewhere remained largely peaceful.

The alliance’s leader, Shaukat Nawaz, said the protest would continue until their demands were met. The group has previously held similar protests, which in 2024 resulted in four deaths and dozens of injuries.

Authorities said the government had already provided discounted wheat and electricity and had agreed to 95% of the alliance’s demands. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said some participants still resorted to violence by firing on the rally.

For security reasons, mobile phone and internet services were partially suspended in parts of the region.

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