The banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has contradicted claims from government officials regarding an end to its sit-in outside Rawalakot in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, maintaining people were only “temporarily” dispersed.
“The sit-in has not ended. Rather, keeping security issues in mind as part of a strategic plan, people were temporarily dispersed,” the JAAC wrote in a post on X. “A large number of people have once again returned to the sit-in points [and] any announcement regarding a course of action will be made by the core members,” it added.
The statement followed remarks from government officials claiming sit-ins at three locations outside Rawalakot had dispersed overnight following announcements from the main stage regarding concerns of a potential security operation. Speaking with local media, Poonch Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan said the protesters had dispersed after authorities had warned them of “strict action” if they remained in place.
Despite the claims of a dispersal, Rawalakot remains under virtual curfew, with mobile data and internet services suspended since Sunday.
The current unrest is a continuation of protests from last year, with the JAAC demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from India-held Kashmir who settled in Pakistan after 1947.
According to unverified reports, the local administration had on Thursday decided to launch a “decisive action” against the protesters, constituting a dedicated contingent of around 1,000 Rangers, Federal Constabulary, Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir police, including 70-80 armored and other vehicles. The Poonch commissioner also told media deputy commissioners had been tasked with raiding the houses of JAAC members wanted under any first information report, either registered in the past or during the current unrest. He said authorities had also blocked the CNICs of all 31 core members of the JAAC and their passports.
Hours before the protesters dispersed, Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik wrote on X that there would be no talks with the proscribed JAAC. “Strict action will be taken against those who incite chaos and disturb peace within the constitutional and legal framework,” he added.
A day earlier, the Pakistan-administered Kashmir government had issued a notification to revive all criminal cases withdrawn over the last two years against leaders and activists of the banned JAAC over their role in the May 2024 and December 2025 protests. Authorities had also offered Rs. 10 million in head money for information about the whereabouts of four leaders of the group.
The current unrest has seen at least 12 deaths over the past five days, including four police, as well as dozens of injuries. The JAAC’s ultimate aim was a long march on Muzaffarabad though it has not attempted to move toward the capital from its location outside Rawalakot.