The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has formally accused the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (Jaac) of inflicting financial losses amounting to Rs15 billion on the state through violent activities. Addressing a press conference alongside the AJK Police spokesperson on Monday, Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif detailed the group's alleged ties with anti-state elements backed by India.
Financial Impact and Resource Strain
Hanif stated that the banned organisation had caused a substantial financial loss, severely straining the state's limited resources. He claimed the group disrupted law and order, routine life, businesses, and students' education under the guise of advocating human rights. The allegations come days after authorities claimed to have uncovered evidence linking protest organisers and overseas handlers with India, accusing them of promoting anti-state narratives and orchestrating unrest through coordinated campaigns.
Background and Escalation
Providing background, Hanif said the movement emerged in the early 2020s in response to global inflation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that the AJK government had immediately addressed public grievances by providing subsidies on wheat and electricity, adding that both commodities remained cheaper in AJK than anywhere else in Pakistan. According to the information secretary, what initially began as a public movement was later hijacked by anti-state elements, diverting it from its original objectives toward political motives before evolving into an unregistered anti-state movement.
Violence and Targeting of Officials
Hanif alleged that the group's activities escalated from peaceful protests to organised violence targeting state institutions and law enforcement agencies. Referring to the group's first sit-in in 2023, he said protesters crossed peaceful limits by attacking government installations in Dadyal. The violence intensified during the 2024 sit-in when activists clashed with Islamabad Capital Territory police and desecrated law enforcement uniforms. He further alleged that the movement increasingly targeted government officials, with members attempting to assassinate an assistant commissioner in Chamyati and physically assaulting a superintendent of police and other officials in Bagh.
Use of Human Shields and Foreign Funding
Hanif expressed concern over what he described as the group's use of women and children as human shields during confrontations, calling the practice dangerous and unacceptable. He claimed there was credible evidence of foreign funding aimed at mobilising members of the overseas Kashmiri diaspora to fuel unrest in the region. Video evidence had been shared with the media showing Jaac leaders and overseas handlers chanting slogans against Pakistan and its armed forces while promoting chaos and anarchy.
