The center requested the dispatch of 14,000 additional law enforcement officers to maintain order
Guest house staff are sitting inside an empty tourist spot in Keran village on the LoC in Neelum Valley, AJK. Photo: AFP
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI:
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Friday banned the Jammu Kashmir Awami Joint Action Committee (JK-JAAC) under anti-terrorism laws, as the state administration decided to beef up security ahead of a protest call scheduled for June 9.
The AJK Home Ministry has issued an official notification placing the JK-JAAC in the First Schedule of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, effectively banning its operations along with all associated nomenclatures, following presidential approval.
“The Government of AJ&K has reasonable grounds to believe that the Jammu-Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), also known as Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and Awami Action Committee (AAC), is engaged in terrorism,” the notification said.
It further alleged that the organization had acted “in a manner prejudicial to the peace and security of the State” and had been “involved in creating anarchy in the State by intimidating the public, fomenting hatred and creating a sense of insecurity in the society and the public at large.”
Officials said the decision followed an evaluation of documents deemed sufficient to indicate activities detrimental to public order. Citing Section 12 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 2014, the notification confirmed the group’s formal inclusion in the First Schedule, with all alternative names covered by the ban.
The Interior Ministry said legal action would follow in accordance with law, while copies of the notification were distributed to all relevant authorities in Islamabad, Muzaffarabad, as well as Poonch and Mirpur divisions of the state.
Authorities reiterated that maintaining public order remained a priority, stating that no organization would be allowed to “endanger public peace, security or the administrative order of the state” while coercive measures are implemented in the region.
In this context, the AJK government also requested reinforcement of 14,000 additional law enforcement officers from federal and provincial agencies ahead of the June 9 protest call, while issuing a travel advisory for visitors.
In a letter to the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, AJK Inspector General of Police Captain (retd) Liaquat Malik said the JK-JAAC had announced protests and a long march, requiring manpower beyond the existing deployment at the district level.
The request includes 6,000 personnel from the Border Police, 5,000 from the Pakistan Rangers, 2,000 from the Islamabad Police and 1,000 from the Sindh Police. The letter said 60% of deployed personnel should be equipped with riot gear, including tear gas guns and shells, while 40% would remain armed, with deployment sought for 15 days, from June 7 to 21.
Subsequently, more than 650 Islamabad police officers were summoned to police headquarters under emergency arrangements in a first phase of deployment, with officials ordering them to report in civilian clothes.
The AJK government also advised tourists and foreigners to avoid traveling to the area and urged visitors already there to leave immediately ahead of the protest period. The advisory will remain in effect from June 5 to 20, with authorities saying it aims to “spare visitors from any unexpected situations or inconveniences.”
Meanwhile, AJK political and administrative authorities have expressed reservations over the protest call, saying most of the committee’s demands have already been met through institutional mechanisms.
Officials said 35 of the 38 requests made by the committee had been accepted or implemented, while progress continued on the remaining issues through established forums, including a monitoring and implementation committee and an independent expert committee constituted to deliberate on sensitive constitutional issues.
The government said it continued negotiations and relief measures, including payment of compensation to affected families, wheat subsidies, reduction of property taxes, open merit in education and recruitment, as well as adjustments in administrative structure and financial reforms.
He further said that certain demands related to taxation, tax systems, refugee seats and official privileges required constitutional and legal processes rather than street agitation, adding that these issues were already the subject of structured consultations.
Authorities accused the committee of inflexibility and warned that any attempt to disrupt the June 9 electoral process would be seen as an attack on democratic norms, especially as that date coincides with the start of nominations for the July 27 general election.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also rejected the demand attributed to the action committee for removal of 12 seats reserved for Pakistan-based Kashmiris in the AJK Legislative Assembly, terming it an attempt to undermine the electoral process ahead of the elections. In an article on X, he said that making such a demand before the elections was tantamount to sabotaging the democratic framework.
Observers and officials further argued that the committee’s continued boycott of institutional dialogue and implementation forums had intensified tensions, noting that its refusal to engage with designated committees had hampered resolution efforts.
They said the Monitoring and Implementation Committee had remained active in revising the agreed terms, while an expert group on refugee sieges had been constituted for legal deliberation, but that the action committee’s participation had been inconsistent.
Authorities said that moving away from formal mechanisms while calling for an anti-lockdown strike on the opening day of the nomination process risked embarrassing candidates and disrupting administrative functions during a critical election phase.
As enforcement measures are now deployed alongside heightened security measures, the AJK administration has reiterated that maintaining public order, protecting public movement and ensuring that election activity continues remains its central priorities in the days leading up to June 9.
(WITH INPUT FROM THE APPLICATION)
