The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Sunday alleged the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) planned to use women and children as human shields during its protests and warned the group it will be held responsible if any untoward incident occurs during its protests.
In a joint press conference, AJK government spokesperson Chaudhry Guftar Hussain and police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Masood Kashfi said the JAAC was urging students to join in demonstrations on July 14 and 15, as well as a march to Muzaffarabad on July 15.
Maintaining that all points of the Oct. 4, 2025 agreement between the government and the JAAC had been accepted, the spokesperson said the group had deviated from its demands and revived protests, leading to its proscription under law.
Referring to the ongoing 36-day sit-in near Rawalakot, the government spokesperson said it had severely disrupted the supply of food, medicines and other essential commodities in Poonch Division. Blockades on highways and link roads have paralyzed public movement and created shortages of essential items in several areas, he added.
The police spokesperson emphasized the government had both a constitutional and moral obligation to clear blocked roads. He alleged that every attempt to reopen them had been met with resistance and gunfire from JAAC members, adding road-clearing teams in Shujaabad came under heavy fire from adjoining areas and nearby forests, injuring law enforcement personnel.
In Arja-Jhandala, he said, a bulldozer operator was injured after the machine came under fire while clearing a blocked road. Security personnel escorting the injured operator were also targeted, he added. He said attacks on trucks carrying food supplies, incidents of looting and the siphoning of diesel did not reflect a peaceful protest.
Hussain said the JAAC’s plan to use women and children carrying the holy Quran as human shields was condemnable, saying the holy book should not be used in any confrontation or protest as it was contrary to its sanctity and Islamic teachings. He also described incitement, attacks on law enforcement agencies and damage to public property as unacceptable.
Both spokespersons stressed the JAAC would be held responsible for any untoward incidents arising from the ongoing protests, particularly any harm caused to students participating in the demonstrations.
They reiterated that maintaining the rule of law and providing relief to citizens remained the government’s constitutional responsibility, adding upcoming AJK Legislative Assembly elections would take place on time. They said all administrative and security arrangements had been finalized to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections.
In an appeal to the public, spokespersons called for rejecting inflammatory propaganda, rumors and divisive narratives, and urged citizens to participate responsibly in the democratic process by exercising their right to vote. They said preserving peace, stability and the rule of law was a shared responsibility and called on people to remain vigilant against misleading campaigns aimed at damaging the peaceful image of AJK. They said the AJK government and other state institutions would continue to safeguard peace, uphold the rule of law and protect the public interest at all costs.