At least three civilians were killed and several others injured after the Pakistani Rangers, a paramilitary force operating under the Pakistan Army, on Monday opened fire at them, who were protesting against rising prices in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The incident happened on a day when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the immediate release of PKR 23 billion for the region after an emergency meeting took place in Islamabad amid rising clashes.

Pakistan’s Friday Times reported that the latest tensions stem from the non-cooperation movement, which began a year ago to protest against rising electricity bills and flour prices.

The peaceful protest turned violent on Friday when local police and federal forces, like the Frontier and Punjab constabularies, sent by Islamabad to protect Chinese workers and projects in the region, cracked down on the protesters. On Saturday, there were violent clashes between the police and civilians in PoK during a strike that paralysed the area. One police officer was killed, and over 90 people were injured in the clashes, as reported by Dawn.