PTI and TTAP denounce JAAC ban, call for dialogue

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Aaeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Saturday criticized the decision to declare the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a banned organisation, urging the authorities to resolve political differences through dialogue and constitutional means rather than coercive measures.

The statements come a day after the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government declared JAAC a banned organization, accusing it of being involved in terrorism, promoting hatred and creating anarchy in the state.

In a statement issued by PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on its

“Political, social and constitutional grievances must be addressed through democratic engagement, meaningful dialogue and constitutional means – not through bans, coercion or the use of force,” the party said.

Questioning the government’s decision, the PTI said authorities had collaborated with the committee for months before declaring it a banned organization.

“If the JAAC was truly a terrorist organization, why did the government spend months negotiating with it, signing agreements with it, implementing its demands, holding meetings with its leaders, and treating it as a legitimate stakeholder until yesterday? » asked the statement.

Read: AJK govt bans Awami Joint Action Committee as tensions rise ahead of June 9 protest call

The party said the strike call was made after what it described as a breach of an agreement between the government and the committee. He also said the JAAC was made up of people from various political parties and civil society groups and was created in response to what he described as poor governance.

Drawing parallels with its own experience, the PTI said the decision reflected a broader trend to suppress political dissent.

“This is the same failed model that was used against the PTI. Suppress peaceful protests, block roads, suspend communications, intimidate citizens and then label any democratic demands as a threat to the state,” he said.

The party argued that disputes over refugee seats, electoral representation and the powers of the legislature should be resolved through “open debate, judicial review and political engagement” rather than declaring terrorist organizations to citizen platforms.

The PTI also warned that the unrest in AJK could have wider implications on Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue.

“Any internal turmoil in Azad Jammu and Kashmir must be handled with extreme caution as India is always looking for opportunities to distort facts, spread propaganda and weaken Pakistan’s moral and diplomatic position on Kashmir,” the statement said.

Calling for a review of the decision, the PTI demanded that the government restore communication services, protect peaceful gatherings, avoid collective punishment and initiate dialogue with all stakeholders.

“History proves that the use of force has never produced lasting political solutions,” the party said, adding that political problems require political solutions.

TTAP condemns the ban

Meanwhile, TTAP, an alliance of opposition parties, condemned the decision to designate the JAAC as a terrorist organization and ban its activities.

In a statement, the alliance said associating a public and political rights movement with terrorism was contrary to facts and democratic principles.

“Associating an organization that fights for public, political and constitutional rights with terrorism is not only contrary to the facts, but also an attack on fundamental democratic principles, civil liberties and the right to vote,” he said.

The alliance accused the AJK government and federal authorities of relying on force and coercive measures rather than political commitment.

“Instead of listening to dissenting voices and seeking political solutions to political problems, the Azad Kashmir government and federal authorities are resorting to force, bans and state coercion,” the statement said.

He argued that characterizing public claims as terrorism amounted to an admission of political failure and would widen the divide between the state and the people.

Read also: 72 detained in AJK crackdown as govt defends JAAC ban

The alliance demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision, lifting of the ban on the committee and initiation of “broad, meaningful and result-oriented negotiations” involving political parties, civil society, traders, lawyers and other stakeholders in AJK.

“The solution to the problems lies not in bans, prosecutions and the use of force, but in dialogue, public participation and democratic processes,” he said.

The alliance further warned that criminalizing political dissent and labeling public movements as terrorists was neither in the interest of democracy nor beneficial for national unity and Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue.

Meanwhile, former senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed called the move a “wrong decision at the wrong time” in an article on X, saying it repeated past mistakes in handling dissent and called into question the use of anti-terrorism laws against political opponents.

Former senator Afrasiab Khattak called the ban “a blatant violation of all fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.”

In an article on »

Haqooq-i-Khalq party leader Ammar Ali Jan also criticized the move, arguing that repression during the elections would increase resentment and instability.