Protests in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir against rising food, fuel and utility bills have turned violent , in which a police officer died and dozens of people were injured, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
Local authorities said the police officer was killed in the town of Dadyal. Police detained several demonstrators in the area, which is divided between Pakistan and India. The Prime Minister of the Pakistani part of Kashmir, Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, announced that he was ready to listen to the demands of the protesters, but urged them not to resort to violence.
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari called a meeting today to discuss how to calm the protests.
Last year, Pakistan came close to defaulting on its foreign debt, but the International Monetary Fund and several friendly countries came to its rescue by lending it funds. The country's monthly inflation even topped 40%, but authorities say it has fallen to 17% ahead of talks with the IMF on a new bailout. Pakistan plans to receive a loan of at least $6 billion from the IMF under an agreement expected in the coming months.