Summary
- The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Sunday warned that the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) will be held fully responsible for any untoward incidents involving students during its planned protests.
- Speaking at a joint press conference, AJK government spokesperson Chaudhry Guftar Hussain and AJK Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Masood Kashfi confirmed that the outlawed group has called on students to join demonstrations on July 14 and 15, culminating in a student march to Muzaffarabad.
- The government spokesperson further accused the banned JAAC of planning to use women and children as human shields by placing them in front of law enforcement personnel against their will, noting plans to send them forward carrying copies of the Holy Quran and white flags.
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Sunday warned that the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) will be held fully responsible for any untoward incidents involving students during its planned protests. Speaking at a joint press conference, AJK government spokesperson Chaudhry Guftar Hussain and AJK Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Masood Kashfi confirmed that the outlawed group has called on students to join demonstrations on July 14 and 15, culminating in a student march to Muzaffarabad.
Officials stated that under a previous agreement signed on October 4, 2025, all 38 demands of the group had initially been accepted by the state. However, the committee subsequently deviated from its focus on fundamental rights to pursue anti-state objectives, resulting in its official proscription under the law. The government spokesperson noted that the group’s ongoing 36-day sit-in has severely disrupted the supply of food, medicines, and essential commodities across the Poonch Division, while extensive road blockades have completely paralysed public movement.
DIG Kashfi emphasised that the government maintains both a constitutional and moral obligation to restore blocked transport links, but alleged that road-clearing teams have faced armed resistance and direct gunfire from JAAC members. The police cited an incident in Shujaabad where security personnel were injured by gunfire originating from nearby forests, as well as an attack in Arja-Jhandala where a bulldozer operator was targeted while clearing a route. Authorities stated that attacks on food supply trucks, looting, and the siphoning of fuel prove the demonstrations are no longer peaceful.
The government spokesperson further accused the banned JAAC of planning to use women and children as human shields by placing them in front of law enforcement personnel against their will, noting plans to send them forward carrying copies of the Holy Quran and white flags. The officials condemned the tactical deployment of the Holy Quran in political confrontations, calling it a violation of Islamic teachings. They reiterated that the state will safeguard public peace at all costs, confirming that the upcoming AJK Legislative Assembly elections will proceed exactly as scheduled with all security arrangements finalised.
