Officials have accused the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) of adopting increasingly confrontational tactics in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), including placing women and children at the forefront of protest activities while armed individuals remained behind them. According to officials, intelligence reports and intercepted communications suggested that women were being positioned at the front of protest gatherings to shield armed elements and complicate any potential law enforcement response.
Alleged Strategy to Exploit Confrontation
Officials said the tactic appeared aimed at creating a flashpoint that could be exploited for political and propaganda purposes. They claimed that any resulting confrontation could be used to portray state institutions as oppressive while advancing a narrative of victimization. The officials also said the approach resembled tactics employed by groups seeking maximum publicity and emotional leverage rather than constructive engagement, drawing comparisons with what they described as the 'BYC playbook.'
Escalation Following Failed Pressure Tactics
The officials said repeated attempts by JAAC to pressure the government had failed to achieve their objectives, prompting what they described as a further escalation in strategy. They also referred to violence during the Rawalakot unrest, saying the movement had already crossed dangerous red lines that resulted in unrest and loss of innocent lives.
According to the officials, the alleged objective behind placing women and children at the forefront was to create circumstances in which any tragic incident could be used to generate public sympathy and strengthen claims against state institutions and law enforcement agencies.
Concerns Over Safety and Intentions
They maintained that peaceful protest was a democratic right, but said any attempt to deliberately provoke confrontation or manufacture a crisis for political gain raised serious concerns about the intentions behind such actions. They further warned that placing women and children in potentially volatile situations as protective buffers endangered their safety and reflected what they described as a protest strategy focused on creating incidents rather than pursuing peaceful and constitutional means of engagement.
