MUZAFFARABAD: Police in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have arrested two men accused of transporting weapons intended for members of a banned organisation, Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), claiming the arrests have exposed a broader conspiracy to fuel unrest in the region under the guise of a public rights movement.
According to police sources, the suspects were intercepted at a security checkpoint while travelling from Dadyal to Rawalakot with a cache of weapons. Officials said the two men were taken into custody on the spot and are currently being questioned.
Police claimed that during preliminary interrogation, the suspects admitted they were working for individuals identified as Mehran, Aman and Nazim, whom investigators described as key figures associated with the banned group.
One of the arrested men, identified as Naeem, confessed to being an active member of the organisation and claimed he had previously participated in acts of vandalism and violent protests. According to police, he told investigators that he had been instructed by Mehran to transport the weapons from Dadyal to Rawalakot.
Police further stated that Naeem claimed organisers had taken the keys of vehicles belonging to participants attending protests to prevent them from leaving the demonstrations. He also stated that a young man from Mirpur had been abducted, sexually assaulted and subjected to physical violence in an attempt to stop him from giving evidence against members of the banned group.
The second suspect, identified as Aqib, told investigators that the weapons were intended for use against police and Rangers personnel. Police said he also expressed regret over his involvement with the banned organisation and appealed to the public not to participate in its activities. Authorities said investigations are continuing to determine the extent of the network and to identify any additional individuals involved.
Meanwhile, analysts quoted by official sources said the arrests had exposed what they described as the group’s violent agenda, adding that public support for the movement had diminished following the latest developments. Police have not disclosed the quantity or type of weapons recovered, and the suspects’ confessions have not been made public.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which was originally formed to campaign for public rights and economic issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has in recent months been accused by authorities of turning violent.
Officials say that members of the group have been involved in attacks that resulted in the deaths of security personnel and civilians, as well as damage to public and private property during protests. The organisation has been declared banned by the authorities following these incidents.
A few days earlier, the AJK government registered a case under Section 124-A of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Penal Code (APC) against Khawaja Mehran Arshad, a key ringleader of the proscribed Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action, following a highly provocative speech targeting the country’s security architecture.
The First Information Report (FIR) was formally lodged at the Civil Secretariat Police Station in Muzaffarabad after intelligence and local monitoring units verified the contents of Arshad’s address, delivered on June 14, 2026, at Dreck, Rawalakot.
According to AJK Finance Minister Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, illegal and unconstitutional acts by members of the banned JAAC, including prolonged strikes, road blockades and violent protests, had caused up to Rs15 billion economic damage to the region.
AJK government declares JAAC proscribed organization
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government declared the Joint Awami Action Committee a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws on June 5, saying the group was “engaged in terrorism, acting in a manner prejudicial to the peace and security of the State”.
Authorities argue that concerns regarding the committee’s intentions intensified after a series of statements and actions that they say went beyond peaceful political activism. Officials said that rhetoric directed against state institutions, calls for the withdrawal of security forces, disruption of educational activities and inflammatory narratives contributed to growing suspicions about the organisation’s real objectives.
Government officials further contend that support expressed by hostile foreign media outlets, anti-state social media accounts and Indian media platforms for the committee’s activities raised serious questions about the forces seeking to exploit unrest in the region.
According to security analysts supporting the government’s position, these developments gradually exposed an organised effort to challenge state authority under the cover of a public rights movement.
The state has vowed to take unyielding action against all facilitators of the network, reiterating that while peaceful negotiation remains open for civic groups, zero tolerance will be extended to entities attempting to orchestrate institutional anarchy.
