The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday formally banned the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), declaring it a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
In a notification, the government’s Home Department said the JAAC had been placed in the First Schedule. “Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), also known by names Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and Awami Action Committee (AAC), is engaged in terrorism, acting in a manner prejudicial to the peace and security of the State, involved in creating anarchy in the State by intimidating the public, promoting hatred, and creating a sense of insecurity in society and the public at large,” it stated.
It said that, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 12 of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, the AJK president has accorded approval to list JK-JAAC, also known as Joint Awami Action Committee and Awami Action Committee, in the First Schedule of ATA 2014 as a proscribed organization for the purposes of the said Act.
The ban declaration follows the JAAC’s announcement of a strike on June 9 over the government’s refusal to abolish 12 seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from India-held Kashmir. The government maintains this can only be done through a constitutional amendment and has urged for deferring the matter until the formation of the next government after July.
Since emerging as a force in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the JAAC has organized several large-scale protests over economic issues and political rights. Some of these demonstrations have turned violent, resulting in fatalities during clashes with law enforcement in May 2024 and September 2025.
Ahead of the planned strike, the AJK government has issued a travel advisory urging tourists and other visitors to avoid visiting the region from June 5-20. It has further urged tourists currently in the region to leave by Saturday evening.
Earlier this week, an All Parties Conference at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in Muzaffarabad rejected the demand for the abolition of 12 seats reserved for refugees. It emphasized that constitutional reforms are the exclusive prerogative and mandate of elected representatives of the people. The government argues that abolishing the seats weakens Pakistan’s position with regards to the disputed status of Kashmir, as well as disenfranchising refugees belonging to India-held Kashmir.