AJK police say JAAC works under ‘specific agenda’, accuses protesters of using automatic weapons

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khawar Ali Shaukat on Wednesday said the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was operating under an “agenda” aimed at destabilizing the region, accusing protesters of firing automatic weapons at security personnel from fortified positions inside buildings.

“This shows that the banned JAAC is working here according to an agenda which aims to destroy peace in AJK, disrupt the social fabric of Kashmir and at the same time undermine the atmosphere of brotherhood and peace,” Shaukat said during a press conference in Rawalakot.

The statement came after reported clashes between law enforcement officials and protesters in Rawalakot during the first phase of the AJK elections in Mirpur division two days earlier, with reports of multiple deaths and injuries circulating on social media. Several videos circulating online showed scenes of unrest, with reports of violence and victims, although the details could not be independently verified. Both the security forces and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) took the toll on both sides.

The SSP said the clashes had exposed the “false narrative” on social media that portrays the movement as peaceful. “This is not a peaceful movement; it has become an armed group.”

According to Shaukat, armed groups attacked security personnel deployed in different parts of Rawalakot to maintain law and order, prompting the police to launch operations.

He said state institutions “have always tried to exercise restraint,” but added that when “armed groups attack police and law enforcement agencies, it becomes our constitutional and legal responsibility to take action in accordance with the law.”

Describing the violence of the past two days, the AJK police spokesperson said individuals had taken positions inside buildings before opening fire on security forces with what he described as modern weapons.

“You have seen how, over the past two days, they occupied buildings, established positions and opened fire on security forces and police personnel using modern weapons,” he said.

Shaukat said the attacks resulted in the death of a Rangers officer, while approximately 15 police and other law enforcement officials were injured during the clashes.

Read: Casualties reported after clash between JAAC and police in AJK’s Rawalakot

Referring to the scale of the violence, he said the use of heavy and automatic weapons demonstrated that those involved “were not an ordinary organization.” “Their links lead elsewhere,” he added.

The spokesperson said police and other law enforcement agencies had responded wherever the attacks occurred despite suffering their own victims.

He added that during the operations several people allegedly involved in violent incidents were arrested.

According to Shaukat, agents recovered a cache of weapons from the detainees, including pistols, automatic firearms, ammunition and what he described as American-made automatic weapons.

Standing in front of the weapons seized during the briefing, he said the display contradicted claims that those involved had been peaceful protesters. “You can see the weapons displayed here: pistols, automatic weapons and ammunition. These were recovered from those arrested,” he said.

He also rejected “online attempts” to portray the security operation as an action against peaceful protesters. “The narrative that peaceful protesters are being attacked is contrary to the facts,” he said, pointing to weapons displayed before journalists.

Shaukat accused “anti-state elements” of spreading what he described as negative propaganda on social media and said police would continue to exercise restraint while responding wherever security personnel were attacked.

Political parties call for a transparent investigation

The clashes in Rawalakot drew strong criticism from political parties and human rights groups. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it was “deeply alarmed” by reports that several people had been killed and many others injured.

While acknowledging that authorities had a duty to maintain public order, the HRCP said this “should never come at the expense of the right to life or the freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression,” and called for “a prompt, impartial and independent investigation” into the reported deaths and injuries and urged authorities to “exercise restraint” as the remaining phases of the elections approach.

The opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) also condemned the use of “excessive force” against protesters, saying demonstrations had continued for weeks for “democratic rights, justice and the rule of law.” He maintained that the protesters had been carrying out a “peaceful march against unbearable inflation and unemployment”, alleged that opposition leaders trying to mediate were prevented from reaching the area, and called on Pakistanis to oppose violations of democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also condemned the reported dismissal and called for an “immediate, independent, transparent and impartial judicial investigation” to establish the facts and hold those responsible accountable. He described the reported deaths and injuries as an attack on “human rights, democratic values ​​and civil liberties” and said that “the voice of the people cannot be suppressed through any form of oppression or use of force.”

Read more: CPDH calls for impartial and independent investigation into reports of deaths in Rawalakot clashes

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also condemned the violence and termed the shooting of civilians as “open terrorism”. Saying that protesting against government policies was a constitutional right, he asked: “Are people not even allowed to raise their voices for their rights?” and urged authorities to immediately end what he described as oppression in the region.

Background

AJK’s 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees, people who fled Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in 1947 and 1965 and are now scattered across Pakistan. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people), an already imbalanced arrangement that many consider unfair.

The region witnessed one of its most turbulent periods in October last year, when protests led by the JAAC broke out over demands for constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three police officers, died during the riots.

The JAAC, which organized the protests and strike, had put forward a wide-ranging charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, and the elimination of the quota system.

Two days after the violence, the government and the JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 basic and 13 additional points. Under the agreement, both sides agreed to constitute a high-level committee to examine the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.

The issue is currently at a stalemate: the JAAC calls for the seats to be abolished while the government rejects the demand.