Joint Awami Action Committee

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections are shaping as a contest between PML-N's Nawaz Sharif and PPP's Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, with both leaders intensifying campaigns. PML-N faces criticism over its perceived role in a crackdown on JAAC protests, while PPP claims the federal government, not the AJK administration, is responsible for the unrest.

A personal security guard of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was killed when his convoy came under fire in Poonch district. The guard, Muhammad Asif, was shot while shielding Ilyas during the attack near Tain-Dhalkot bridge over the Jhelum River. Ilyas alleged the attack was by members of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee, though this claim remains unverified.

Political efforts in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) ahead of elections focus on engaging with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which protests against refugee seats in the legislature. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Nawaz Sharif are visiting the region to campaign, while the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Chairman Syed Qamar Raza attempted a personal initiative to persuade JAAC leaders to abandon violence.

Azad Kashmir has experienced violent protests since June led by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), resulting in approximately 30 deaths. The JAAC's demand to abolish refugee seats in the AJK legislature has caused a deadlock, while political actors propose negotiations to restore calm ahead of regional polls.

The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) postponed its planned long march on Muzaffarabad for a week following back-channel negotiations involving intermediaries like Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Chairman Syed Qamar Raza and Chaudhry Zafar Anwar. Talks aimed at resolving the standoff reportedly reached broad agreement, with remaining issues to be finalized, while no violence was reported in Poonch and Sudhnoti.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Home Secretary Chaudhry Guftar Hussain accused the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) of using coordinated social media campaigns with baseless claims to incite people against the state. He highlighted JAAC's use of women and children as human shields, disruption of education and roads, and clashes in Poonch that killed two law enforcers and seven JAAC activists. The government reaffirmed its commitment to holding elections on July 27 and restoring normalcy.

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed concern over the ongoing protests and clashes in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) ahead of July 27 elections, warning that the situation could harm the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s reputation. The tensions stem from the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) demanding the abolition of 12 Legislative Assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Clashes between police and supporters of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee in Pakistan-administered Kashmir left a police officer dead and several wounded. The group had blocked roads for a month, demanding the abolition of 12 Legislative Assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-controlled Kashmir, a demand rejected by the regional Supreme Court.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) plans to form a Kashmir peace jirga to mediate between the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to restore stability. A committee led by JI Deputy Emir Liaqat Baloch will oversee the initiative, which includes engaging civil society and former officials to resolve issues like the AJK Legislative Assembly's reserved seats through dialogue.

AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore supports a JAAC leader's criticism of individuals misusing the platform, urging dialogue over protests. Senior JAAC leader Umar Nazir Kashmari clarifies that only core leadership statements represent the organization, distancing it from controversial speeches by activists like Sardar Aman.

The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) announced a July 14 deadline for the acceptance of its demands, threatening to resume a march on Muzaffarabad if unmet. Two people were killed near Rawalakot during clashes between law enforcement and JAAC activists blocking a food convoy.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Information Department Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif claimed state institutions have evidence of Indian funding behind the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in the region. He alleged JAAC members conducted violent activities, including road blockades and anti-Pakistan rhetoric, while promoting an independent Kashmir agenda.

Clashes between protesters and law enforcement were reported in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) following demonstrations organized by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). Injuries were reported in Mirpur district, while internet services remained suspended for 30 days. Some protests in other areas, including Khaliqabad and Islamgarh, remained peaceful.

Government officials in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have dismissed rumors of long marches by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), confirming smaller demonstrations at protest sites. The Poonch administration recommended disciplinary action against 70+ officials for participating in sit-ins, while the AJK police denied claims of attacking protesters.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reviewed the law and order situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after month-long protests by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The intensity of protests has subsided, with ongoing demonstrations in Rawalakot and calm in Muzaffarabad. The PM emphasized prioritizing public service and resolving issues.

PTI announced a boycott of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) general election, citing political and social unrest, government use of force, and economic distress caused by suspended food supplies. The party emphasized a principled stance to align with public aspirations and demanded resolution of grievances before participating in elections.

Confusion surrounds the reported arrest of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir, with activists claiming his capture while officials remain silent. Mir, a wanted figure facing sedition charges, was reportedly detained near Airan Nullah, along with two other suspects, though no official confirmation was provided. The government continues to search for other JAAC leaders Sohaib Javed and Hafeez Hamdani.

Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman urged the government to resolve the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) crisis through dialogue, avoiding force and engaging with the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). JI emphasized mediation to prevent unrest and warned against actions that could benefit India's propaganda on the Kashmir issue.

Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) is seeing a return to normalcy as a prolonged strike subsides. Officials dismiss the Joint Awami Action Committee's (JAAC) call for election boycott as a strategy to maintain relevance, while the AJK government prepares to unveil a Rs286 billion budget for 2026-27. Transport and commercial activities are gradually resuming, though fuel shortages remain a challenge.

AJK police chief Liaqat Ali Malik warned against disinformation and AI-generated content, confirming open entry points for traffic and denying reports of transport restrictions. He accused JAAC activists of erecting barriers and disrupting goods transport, while urging media to verify reports with official sources.

The AJK government has rejected a blanket amnesty for leaders of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), citing their responsibility for recent violence and deaths. The dispute centers on the JAAC's demand to abolish 12 Legislative Assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The government offered constitutional avenues for dialogue but accused the JAAC of expanding demands from two to 38 points.

The chairman of Pakistan's Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir requested a meeting with opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai to discuss the political situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), focusing on disputes over the 12 refugee seats in its Legislative Assembly. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) opposes these seats, leading to tensions with regional authorities ahead of July 27 elections.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) listed 147 activists and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act. A standoff between JAAC protesters and law enforcement in Rawalakot continued, with a region-wide strike entering its 11th day and disrupting daily life in Poonch and Muzaffarabad divisions.

The JAAC protest in Rawalakot has visibly decreased, with most participants leaving, while a shutter-down strike continues across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for seven days. Authorities eased curfew restrictions in parts of Rawalakot but internet outages disrupted banking, and mobile vendors began operating in some areas. The AJK Legislative Assembly is set to meet to discuss employee regularization and other resolutions.

The PPP urges protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to end demonstrations, citing harm to Pakistan’s international reputation and the Kashmir cause. The party’s AJK wing calls for withdrawing the election schedule amid clashes that killed two people in Rawalakot, while the PML-N insists on proceeding with elections. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari emphasizes resolving grievances through democratic means and highlights a pending US-Iran peace agreement mediated by Pakistan.

PPP-AJK urged the election commission to withdraw the polling schedule for 12 refugee seats in Azad Jammu and Kashmir amid unrest, citing the need for dialogue to address protests by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) against the reservation of these seats for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urged protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to end demonstrations, stating the unrest harms Pakistan's reputation and the Kashmiri cause. He emphasized resolving political disputes through democratic means and highlighted the importance of Pakistan's role in a U.S.-Iran peace pact amid global attention.

Partial strikes and sit-ins by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) continue in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with authorities seizing businesses and conducting raids. An internet outage affecting students and freelancers enters its eighth day, and former AJK president Sardar Yaqoob Khan urges the committee to end the agitation unconditionally.

The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) demands abolishing 12 reserved seats for Kashmiri refugees in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)'s legislative assembly, but the AJK Supreme Court ruled these seats, protected under Article 22 of the AJK Interim Constitution 1974, cannot be removed without a constitutional amendment under Article 33. The article argues abolishing the seats would violate constitutional rights and the principle of equality for Kashmiri refugees, who are recognized as 'state subjects' under the constitution.

Thousands of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) activists regrouped at protest sites in Rawalakot after dispersing overnight, despite official claims of the campaign's collapse. Officials reported initial dispersal under safety assurances, but protesters returned in large numbers by afternoon, vowing to continue demonstrations.

Protesters from the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Poonch district dispersed after midnight following fears of a major crackdown by authorities. The dispersal occurred amid a planned operation involving 1,000 law enforcement personnel and armored vehicles, triggered by tensions over JAAC's demand to abolish 12 refugee-reserved Legislative Assembly seats.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir observed a third consecutive day of shutdown as clashes between protesters and law enforcement resulted in one death and four injuries. The protest, organized by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), involved thousands of participants from multiple districts. A JAAC member delivered a provocative speech demanding government concessions, including the withdrawal of legal notifications against the group and the lifting of curfews.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif urged the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to allow Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) voters to decide the fate of 12 refugee seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly. The JAAC demands abolishing the seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees, but Asif argued that refugees’ voting rights should not be removed, emphasizing their historical sacrifices and Pakistan’s collective stake in AJK.

22 Pakistani soldiers died in a military helicopter crash in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with no survivors confirmed. A mass funeral was held for the victims, including a colonel and two majors, as an investigation into the crash's technical fault continues. Security forces have been deployed amid heightened tensions following recent attacks on police.

A mass funeral was held for 22 Pakistani soldiers killed in a military helicopter crash in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The crash, attributed to a technical fault, left no survivors, and an investigation is underway. The soldiers were traveling to perform security duties amid heightened tensions following recent attacks on security personnel.

A Pakistani army MI-17 helicopter crashed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir due to a technical fault, killing all military personnel on board. The crash occurred near Muzaffarabad during a protest by the Joint Awami Action Committee, though no link was suggested. Rescue teams responded, and a board of inquiry was ordered to investigate the cause.

Sedition cases and a Rs10 million reward for information against leaders of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) were ordered in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) following clashes between law enforcers and protesters. Clashes resulted in injuries and feared deaths, with a government-led shutdown and internet blackout complicating information flow.

A strike called by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) disrupted business and transport in Pakistan-administered Kashmir following clashes between the group's supporters and security forces that killed seven people. The strike followed a court ruling protecting 12 legislative seats for Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan, which the JAAC opposes, and authorities have deployed security forces and suspended internet access to curb the protest.

A strike by the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) left Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), largely deserted, with shops and traffic closed. AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore called for renewed negotiations to ease tensions, as JAAC demands the abolition of 12 Legislative Assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Tensions between the Azad Kashmir government and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) have escalated after a trader affiliated with JAAC was shot by law-enforcers, leading to violent clashes that killed four policemen and seven protesters. The JAAC, recently proscribed by the regional administration, demands the abolition of refugee seats for those who left Indian-administered Kashmir and settled in Azad Kashmir, prompting calls for de-escalation and dialogue.