Hassan Ahmad
ACTING under Section 12 of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, the AJK Government has proscribed the Jammu & Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on June 5, 2026. Justification for this apparently tough action revolves around prevention of anarchy vis-à-vis terrorism, incitement to violence and activities prejudicial to peace and security of the state.
The official notification states there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that the alliance has officially crossed the line into blatant terrorism. Authorities specifically cited a recent violent escalation where an activist linked to the movement opened fire on police personnel, injuring multiple officers. Few details are very disturbing!
Following subsequent police crackdowns, officials claimed recovery of weapons, communication gadgets and “suspicious documents” detailing organized plans for violent agitational activities. AJK Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore defended the proscription by drawing a line between peaceful protest and paralyzing public infrastructure.
The government highlighted the JAAC’s coercive use of the strike slogan “Band, Matlab Band” (Closed means Closed), which authorities argue amounts to public intimidation and forced closure of businesses rather than democratic expression. Extra-ordinary vigour shown for the protest by JAAC seems pointed at disrupting the process of upcoming general election. The proscription was implemented just hours after the Election Commission announced July 27, 2026, as the date for general election. The JAAC had planned a massive, indefinite “wheel-jam” strike and a sit-in to surround the Legislative Assembly starting June 9; meaningfully coincided exactly with the opening day for candidate nomination filings.
The government justified the ban as a necessary measure to prevent the group from obstructing candidates, influencing the electoral process and sabotaging regional democratic functions. The crisis is heavily fueled by the JAAC’s controversial demand to scrap the 12 legislative seats and university quotas reserved for Jammu and Kashmir refugees in Pakistan. However, the AJK Legislative Assembly firmly protects them, stating this representation of refugees from IIOJK serve as a crucial constitutional symbol of the Kashmir cause and that abolishing it would silence the victims who remain vital stakeholders in the region.
The JAAC’s demand to abolish taxes, including the 75% advance income tax, is characterized as a financially unviable position that threatens public services. Eliminating these taxes would exacerbate AJK’s existing 240-250 billion PKR deficit by an additional 45 billion PKR, jeopardizing critical infrastructure. The current crisis marks a shift from public welfare advocacy toward potential regional instability. By planning to shut down markets, halt candidate nominations and disrupt public life with ill-intended strike calls, the JAAC is moving away from constitutional and electoral processes.
Two indicators add to the concerns of local stakeholders! One, the lopsided agenda driven coverage to protest activities of JAAC by Indian media outlets. Two, the JAAC’s outright boycott of the All Parties Conference (APC) in denial of democratic norms. As paramilitary forces arrive from Islamabad to maintain order, the government emphasizes that AJK’s stability relies on democratic continuity, fiscal reality and formal dialogue rather than continuous street protests.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad.
