The death toll from violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators in Pakistan-administered Kashmir rose to nine on Thursday as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a delegation to the regional capital for talks with protest leaders, officials said.

In a statement, Sharif urged calm and called on police to exercise restraint, emphasizing that his government was committed to addressing public grievances in Kashmir.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a minister in Sharif’s cabinet, said on X that discussions with representatives of the Awami Action Committee were underway in Muzaffarabad. Meanwhile, local authorities reported that convoys of buses and cars were moving toward Muzaffarabad ahead of another planned protest.

The clashes erupted earlier this week after an alliance of several groups launched demonstrations demanding subsidies on food, electricity, and other essential services. Video footage posted online showed violent confrontations between protesters, many armed with sticks and guns, and police deployed to maintain order and protect government buildings.

The regional prime minister, Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, said his administration had agreed to meet 36 of the alliance’s 38 demands, including reduced electricity tariffs, cheaper wheat, and local governance reforms, but the group continued its violent protests.

According to government officials, at least nine people, including three police officers, were killed, while more than 150 others, mostly police personnel, were injured. Critically wounded officers were transported to hospitals in Islamabad for treatment.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the capital’s main hospital on Thursday to meet injured officers. He praised their “courage and restraint” and directed authorities to ensure the best medical care, warning that violent elements attempting to destabilize the region “at the behest of enemies” would not be allowed to act with impunity.