AJK places 147 JAAC activists on terror list amid ongoing strike

Authorities in Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have escalated their crackdown on the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a group leading a region-wide strike, by placing 147 activists and supporters on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act. This designation allows for the potential attachment and sealing of their properties.

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some JAAC leaders had been delivering inflammatory speeches to keep protesters mobilised.

The decision, made during an AJK cabinet meeting on June 5, coincides with the 11th day of a disruptive strike that has paralyzed much of the Poonch and Muzaffarabad divisions. Businesses remain closed, public transport is off the roads, and residents face difficulties due to suspended internet services, which have also impacted banking operations and remittances to students studying in Pakistan.

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the authorities had adopted a strategy aimed at ending the sit-in without resorting to force, including disrupting the supply of food reaching protesters through different routes.

While life shows some signs of returning to normal in Muzaffarabad with street vendors and some shops reopening, the protest continues in Rawalakot. Officials, speaking anonymously, stated that authorities are employing a strategy to end the sit-in without resorting to force. This includes disrupting supplies to protesters and compiling lists of government employees allegedly aiding them for disciplinary action. Some JAAC leaders are accused of delivering inflammatory speeches to maintain momentum.

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lists were being compiled of government employees allegedly supporting or facilitating the protesters, either through participation in demonstrations or by providing accommodation and meals, for strict disciplinary action.