JAAC | Pakistan

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Information Department Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif claimed on Monday that state institutions had evidence of Indian funding behind the banned Joint Awami Action Committee’s (JAAC) “agenda” in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference in Muzaffarabad, the information secretary said that state institutions had credible information about foreign funding behind ongoing activities in AJK. “The institutions have evidence of the use of Indian funding to mobilise overseas Kashmiris, such as UK-based Amjad Ayub Mirza, to advance an anti-Pakistan agenda,” Hanif said. He urged the people of AJK to dismiss the “baseless disinformation campaign on social media” and participate in the “due political process to restore peace and order in the region”. The information secretary elaborated that for the past month, members of the proscribed organisation had carried out multiple “illegal and violent” activities under the guise of human rights advocacy. “This apparent human rights movement h...

MUZAFFARABAD: Despite the weekend, a shutter-down strike was observed across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday, alongside demonstrations called by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), with clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel reported from several areas, particularly in Mirpur district. Sources and residents said that around a dozen people, including some policemen, had been injured in clashes in Dadyal, the lakeside town of Mirpur district. There were also reports of some casualties, but these could not be independently verified. Meanwhile, the internet suspension in AJK entered its 30th day on Sunday. In Dadyal, clashes first erupted in Amb village. Witnesses said at least three people were injured. Another clash broke out later in the evening, after which another critically injured protester was brought to the Divisional Headquarters Hospital in Mirpur. Officials at the Mirpur Divisional Headquarters Hospital told Dawn they had received four injured persons, two of w...

MUZAFFARABAD: Government officials have ruled out the possibility of long marches as sit-in participants of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) are expected to hold demonstrations at their respective protest sites today. The main sit-in continued at the Eidgah ground, while smaller gatherings, with attendance ranging between 100 and 500 people, were also being held at Mutyalmera, Singola, Paniola and Shujaabad. According to official sources, participants at the main sit-in on the outskirts of Rawalakot were expected to organise a short rally near the protest site after assembling there at 2pm on Sunday. “There is no information suggesting they intend to move beyond their respective protest sites,” an official said, attributing the rumours of long marches to the absence of communication facilities in the region. An official described the sit-ins on the outskirts of the town as gatherings where participants mostly assembled in the evening “to enjoy the cool weather and free meals”. He said there ...

MUZAFFARABAD: Traders and transporters in Muzaffarabad division announced on Saturday that markets and public transport would resume normal operations from Sunday after the administration assured them of security and uninterrupted fuel supplies, signalling the first major break in the shutdown observed during the ongoing agitation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). At a joint press conference at Central Press Club, representatives of traders’ bodies and the transporters’ union also distanced themselves from the recently proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). They alleged that the movement, which they had initially backed over public issues such as subsidised electricity and flour, had deviated from its original objectives after June 9 and was now pursuing a political and constitutional agenda beyond the mandate of traders and transporters. The regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over the past month over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in th...

AJK govt rules out blanket amnesty for JAAC

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Tuesday ruled out any blanket amnesty for leaders of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), holding them responsible for recent deaths and violence and vowing to pursue legal action against them. The regional administration and the JAAC remain at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. Addressing a joint press conference alongside Inspector General of Police (IGP) Liaqat Ali Malik, Chief Secretary Khushal Khan said the JAAC leadership had become divided over the ongoing process of negotiations and mediation. “There will be no blanket amnesty,” he said, adding that the leadership of the proscribed organisation would have to face the consequences of the deaths and violence linked to its movement. On Tuesday, a strike called by the JAAC continue...

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has placed 147 activists and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, even as a standoff between the group’s protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot continued on Friday and a region-wide strike entered its 11th day. According to official notifications issued by the AJK Home Department, those placed on the Fourth Schedule included 33 activists from Poonch, 31 from Sudhnoti, 15 each from Kotli and Bagh, 14 from Mirpur, 10 from Bhimber, eight each from Neelum and Haveli, and four from Muzaffarabad. The notifications said the decision had been taken at the 41st meeting of the AJK cabinet on June 5. Strike enters its 11th day; life remains disrupted across much of Poonch, Muzaffarabad divisions Official sources said more names could be added to the Fourth Schedule on the basis of intelligence reports and ongoing investigations. One official claimed that the properties of those placed o...

Law enforcement agencies conducted a raid at the residence of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leader Mehran Arshad Khawaja in Dadyal tehsil of Mirpur district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), recovering a drone, weapons, and other suspicious items, officials said.

• Curfew-like restrictions eased • Commercial activity takes a hit as internet outages affect ATMs • AJK Legislative Assembly to meet today MUZAFFARABAD: The standoff between law enforcement personnel and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot seemed to be winding down, with officials claiming on Monday that the days-long protest had visibly shrink. According to officials, who spo­ke to Dawn on condition of anony­mity, the central gathering at the Eidgah Ground is steadily shrinking, with most participants from other areas having quietly left. The majority of those still present are residents of nearby localities who arrive in the afternoon and return home late at night, an official said. The official maintained that law enforcement personnel had only engaged armed activists, and ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the proscribed group, stating that its members would either have to surrender or face strict legal action. Authorities have relaxed curfew-like res...

The officials said the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had adopted increasingly confrontational tactics in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including placing women and children at the forefront of protest activities while armed individuals remained behind them.

MUZAFFARABAD: The Poonch administration in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is hopeful that the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) protesters will disperse peacefully after a sizeable number of people gathered again after Friday prayers. The regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. However, an official of the district administration claimed that fewer than 2,000 people were present after dusk. He added that participants in the gathering remain uncertain as they cannot march towards Rawalakot, with all routes leading to the city blocked by law enforcement. “When their strength was around 15,000 to 16,000, even then they could not move towards Rawalakot. We have sent a message to JAAC leader Umar Nazir to call off the demonstration unconditionally,” said Poonch...

As tensions persist in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday urged the now proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to let the people of the region decide whether the 12 refugee seats should be abolished. The regional administration and the JAAC remain at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the defence minister called on the JAAC to raise the issue in the upcoming elections, scheduled for July 27, and “take the issue to the public”. He questioned why the group was intent on deciding the issue pre-emptively, suggesting that it might be an attempt to shape the assembly “as per their will”. Asif noted that Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan had paid a “heavy price” to migrate to the country, and that the JAAC had no right to...

• Clashes with law enforcers reported as rallies from various parts of region attempt to converge on Muzaffarabad • Several feared dead, two cops among scores injured • PM Rathore urges a return to talks • Five held from Muzaffarabad on suspicion of ‘links to foreign agencies’ MUZAFFARABAD: Parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) remained in the throes of a crippling shutter-down strike on Tuesday, which was punctuated by clashes between law enforcers and supporters of the recently-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The AJK government has issued orders to initiate sedition proceedings against two JAAC figures, and also announced a Rs10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of four of the group leaders. At the same time, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore urged a return to the negotiating table in a bid to end the tensions that have gripped the region over the past few days. The clashes occurred when protesters from different areas of Mirpur division, comprising Mirpur, Bhimber ...

MUZAFFARABAD: Shops and markets were largely shut and vehicular traffic remained minimal in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), on Tuesday as the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) observed a strike. Meanwhile, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore urged a return to the negotiating table in a bid to end the tensions that have gripped the region over the past few days. During the day, Muzaffarabad’s streets were deserted, with hardly any vehicles on the roads. Riot police and paramilitary personnel remained deployed in the city. However, no demonstrations were witnessed in the capital. Meanwhile, reports from Mirpur said that hundreds of people had gathered in the town’s Quaid-i-Azam stadium. “Shops are closed here and traffic is off the roads,” local journalist Sajjad Jarral told Dawn by telephone. Witnesses in Kotli said that while the area observed a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike, hundreds of people led by JAAC core member Imtiaz Aslam were heading to...

The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has announced a reward of Rs10 million for information leading to the arrest of four leaders of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).

MUZAFFARABAD: At least seven civilians were killed during Sunday’s clash between police and the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Rawalakot, an official told Dawn on Monday. Poonch Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan confirmed the civilian death toll to Dawn a day after the clash in which four law enforcement personnel were martyred. The commissioner and AJK Inspector General (IG) Liaqat Ali Malik also told Dawn 30 people had been taken into custody late on Sunday. The officials also said that 23 policemen were injured during the clash. The clash broke out after tensions flared over the death of a trader, who was allegedly shot during a confrontation with law enforcers on Friday night. Officials have accused the demonstrators of attacking the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalakot on Sunday. Initially, his family had ann­ounced his funeral would be held on Saturday, but they later changed their mind and brought the body back to CMH, apparently...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, whose party holds the majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, said on Sunday he would meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the current situation in AJK, asserting that issues would be resolved through talks. He said this while presiding over a meeting of the PPP AJK parliamentary party in Islamabad, a statement issued by the PPP said. The meeting was held as tensions gripped AJK, with the region’s government declaring the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a proscribed organisation and the latter insisting on its demand to abolish 12 refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly. The group also plans to hold a protest on June 9, days ahead of June 27 elections in the region. The PPP statement said the party’s political affairs in-charge Faryal Talpur was also present at the meeting on Sunday where the political situation in AJK was reviewed. “Consultations were held between Bilawal and parliamentary party members regarding the AJK situation,”...

ISLAMABAD/MUZAFFARABAD - The police in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) said on Saturday they had arrested 72 people linked to a banned protest group, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), during a security crackdown, alleging some detainees possessed weapons, suspicious documents and material aimed at disrupting public order in the.

• Police arrest at least 72 people, recover ‘weapons, suspicious documents’ • Situation tense in Poonch after trader gunned down in ‘clash with police’ MUZAFFARABAD: Auth­or­it­ies in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Saturday launched a crackdown on the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), arresting scores of its leaders and activists from different areas. “In fulfilment of its responsibility to maintain public order and protect the lives and properties of citizens, police have arrested around 72 people affiliated with the proscribed JAAC over the past 18 hours,” said a handout issued by a spokesperson for police chief Liaqat Ali Malik. “During initial action, weapons, communication gadgets, suspicious documents, material related to plans that could adversely affect public order and organised mechanisms for violent agitational activities had been found, in addition to indications of questionable contacts with patrons and foreigners which are being investigated under law,” it added. The police spokes...

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has declared the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), effectively banning the group ahead of its planned protest call on June 9.