MUZAFFARABAD: Armed goons of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) abducted and brutally tortured two citizens of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for more than six hours before dumping them unconscious on a roadside near Rawalakot.
The victims were identified as Sardar Nasir Arbab, Secretary General of Anjuman Tajran Arja, and his cousin Hussam.
According to details, around 20 to 25 masked members of the banned group had blocked the main road near Jandala Cross by felling a tree, causing an ambulance carrying a dead body to become stranded.
When Sardar Nasir Arbab, accompanied by several local youths, arrived to clear the road and make way for the ambulance, the armed miscreants attacked then and opened indiscriminate fire, locals said.
The banned action committee armed goons held Nasir Arbab and Hussam at gunpoint before abducting them.
The armed men dragged the two victims through Halan Bazaar before forcing them into a waiting Hi-Ace vehicle and transporting them to Paniola.
According to details, the abducted traders were subjected to the worst physical torture for more than six hours.
During the ordeal, the armed goons accused them of creating problems for the banned group and repeatedly assaulted and abused them.
Sardar Nasir Arbab eventually lost consciousness due to the severity of the torture. The attackers then dumped both victims in a semi-conscious state on a roadside near Rawalakot before fleeing the area.
The incident has triggered widespread anger and resentment among the business community and local residents in the area.
The business community of Arja will soon announce its disassociation from the banned Joint Awami Action Committee during a press conference. The business community will also announce the next appropriate action against the outlawed group.
People from all walks of life, including the business community of Azad Kashmir, are fed up with the miscreants of the proscribed Action Committee.
People from various sections of society have strongly condemned the incident, describing it as another example of the violence being carried out by armed elements of the banned group.
These armed gangs and goons who inflict the worst torture on the citizens of Azad Kashmir can never be the protectors of the rights of the people, locals said.
Civil society organises protest rallies against proscribed Action Committee
Meanwhile, civil society organised protest rallies against the anti-state activities of the proscribed Action Committee in Mirpur district and Leepa Valley.
The rallies witnessed participants chanting slogans against the proscribed Action Committee, while strong public anger was expressed against the disruptive and miscreant elements.
Civil society representatives warned that no one would be misled by the banned group any further.
Speakers said that attempts to undermine peace and stability in the region had been foiled, adding that the so-called protest agenda of the outlawed committee had been firmly rejected by the public.
The gatherings were also marked by slogans expressing strong affection for Pakistan and the Pakistan Army, including ‘Kashmir banay ga Pakistan’ and ‘Pakistan Army zindabad’.
Civil society members urged the public to boycott the outlawed committee and emphasised that citizens of Mirpur District and Leepa Valley support resolving all issues through constitutional and legal means only.
They further stated that the activities of the banned organisation were detrimental to national stability and had been rejected by the patriotic people of the region.
