PTI and TTAP criticize JAAC ban and call for dialogue

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Aaeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Saturday criticized the decision to declare the Jammu Kashmir Awami Joint Action Committee (JAAC) a banned organisation, urging the authorities to resolve political disputes through dialogue and constitutional means instead of coercive measures.

The remarks came a day after the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government declared JAAC a banned organisation, accusing it of being involved in terrorism, promoting hatred and creating anarchy in the state.

In a statement issued by PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on its

“Political, social and constitutional grievances must be addressed through democratic engagement, meaningful dialogue and constitutional means, not through bans, coercion or the use of force,” the party said.

Questioning the government’s decision, PTI said authorities had collaborated with the committee for months before declaring it a proscribed organisation.

“If JAAC was truly a terrorist organization, why did the government spend months negotiating with it, signing agreements, implementing its demands, holding meetings with its leaders and treating it as a legitimate stakeholder until yesterday?” the statement asked.

Read: AJK govt bans Awami Joint Action Committee as tensions rise ahead of June 9 protest call

The party said the strike call had been issued after what it described as a violation of an agreement between the government and the committee. He also said that the JAAC was made up of people from various political parties and civil society groups and had emerged in response to what he called poor governance.

Drawing parallels with its own experience, the PTI said the decision reflected a broader pattern of repression of political dissent.

“This is the same failed model that has been used against the PTI. Repress peaceful protests, block roads, suspend communications, intimidate citizens and then label every democratic demand as a threat to the state,” he said.

The party argued that disputes relating to refugee seats, electoral representation and the powers of the legislative assembly should be addressed through “open debate, judicial review and political engagement” rather than declaring citizen platforms as terrorist organisations.

The PTI also warned that the unrest in AJK could have broader implications for Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue.

“Any internal unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir must be handled with extreme care, because India is always looking for opportunities to distort facts, spread propaganda and weaken Pakistan’s moral and diplomatic position on Kashmir,” the statement said.

Calling for a review of the decision, the PTI demanded that the government restore communication services, protect peaceful gatherings, avoid collective punishment and initiate dialogue with all stakeholders.

“History shows that the use of force has never produced lasting political solutions,” the party said, adding that political problems required political solutions.

TTAP condemns the ban

On the other hand, TTAP, an alliance of opposition parties, condemned the decision to designate JAAC as a terrorist organization and ban its activities.

In a statement, the alliance said that associating a public and political rights movement with terrorism was contrary to facts and democratic principles.

“Associating a public, political organization that fights for constitutional rights with terrorism is not only contrary to the facts but also an attack on fundamental democratic principles, civil liberties and the right to vote,” he stated.

The alliance accused the AJK government and federal authorities of resorting to force and coercive measures instead of political engagement.

“Instead of listening to dissenting voices and seeking political solutions to political issues, the Azad Kashmir government and federal authorities are resorting to the path of force, bans and state coercion,” the statement said.

He argued that labeling public demands as terrorism was tantamount to admitting political failure and would deepen the division between the state and the people.

Read also: 72 detained in AJK crackdown as govt defends JAAC ban

The alliance demanded the immediate withdrawal of the decision, the lifting of the ban on the committee and the initiation of “comprehensive, meaningful and result-oriented negotiations” involving AJK’s political parties, civil society, traders, lawyers and other stakeholders.

“The solution to the problems does not lie in prohibitions, judicial processes and the use of force, but in dialogue, public participation and democratic processes,” he stated.

The alliance further warned that criminalizing political dissent and labeling public movements as terrorism was neither in the interest of democracy nor beneficial to national unity and Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue.

Meanwhile, former senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed described the move as a “wrong decision at the wrong time” in a post on X, saying it repeated past mistakes in dealing with dissent and questioned the use of anti-terrorism laws against political opponents.

Former senator Afrasiab Khattak called the ban “a grave violation of all fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.”

In a post on

Haqooq-i-Khalq party leader Ammar Ali Jan also criticized the decision, arguing that repression during the elections would increase resentment and instability.