MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Sunday vowed legal action against the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for its involvement in anti-state activities, disrupting public life, and threatening law and order.
The AJK government’s spokesperson said that the Awami Action Committee was banned for engaging in activities that threaten law and order in the region.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Sunday, government spokesperson Chaudhry Gufran Hussain and Police spokesperson DIG Irfan Masood Kashfi said the committee’s activities had disrupted public life and posed a serious threat to law and order.
The officials said the committee’s sit-in had severely disrupted the supply of food, medicines, and other essential commodities to Poonch Division, while road blockades had brought the movement of ordinary citizens to a standstill.
According to the government, prolonged road closures have resulted in shortages of food and other basic necessities in several areas. It maintained that restoring access to highways and communication routes is both a constitutional and moral responsibility of the state.
The officials said that every attempt by the authorities to reopen blocked roads had been met with resistance, including armed attacks on law enforcement personnel.
They said members of the banned committee opened fire on a road restoration team in Shujaabad, injuring security personnel, while a dozer operator was wounded during efforts to clear a blocked road in Arja Jhandala. They further alleged that security forces also came under fire while evacuating the injured operator.
They also said the committee of attacking trucks carrying food supplies, looting goods and siphoning diesel from vehicles, saying such actions were inconsistent with the principles of a peaceful protest.
The officials expressed concern over reports that women and children were being used as human shields during demonstrations and alleged that some had been kept at protest sites against their will.
They condemned attempts to place women and children carrying copies of the Holy Quran and white flags at the forefront of confrontations with law enforcement agencies, calling the practice contrary to the Islamic teachings.
The government further said that the banned committee had prevented students from attending schools, colleges and universities, urging parents and educational institutions to ensure the continuation of academic activities.
Warning that any untoward incident would be the responsibility of the banned committee, the officials reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining law and order and protecting the lives and property of citizens.
They also dismissed speculation about any changes to the electoral process, announcing that elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly would be held according to the scheduled timetable.
The officials said all administrative and security arrangements had been finalised to ensure that the elections are conducted in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful manner.
Calling on citizens to participate in the democratic process responsibly, they urged the public to reject rumours, inflammatory propaganda and divisive narratives.
They stressed that maintaining peace, stability and the rule of law is a shared responsibility and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to safeguard public interest and preserve peace across the region.
