When activist Shahzaib Habib was killed by unidentified men on the night of June 6 in Rawalakot, Pakistan, protesters took custody of his body from the combined military hospital and staged a sit-in outside the hospital, demanding that an investigation be opened into his murder. Habib was a close associate of the leadership of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, or JAAC, a coalition of local traders, civil society members and political activists who spent the past three years organizing demonstrations across Pakistan-administered Kashmir. According to JAAC, security forces opened fire on the vehicle Habib was traveling in. Police say they intercepted a “suspicious vehicle” whose armed occupants fired first. Habib’s killing came in a week when a crackdown on the JAAC was intensifying day by day. Two days earlier, on June 5, Pakistan’s government had banned JAAC, declaring the nonviolent coalition — which came together around electricity bills and wheat prices — a proscribed organization under the 2014 anti-terrorism act. In the days that followed, a curfew was imposed on Rawalakot, phone and internet were cut across the region of Azaad Jammu and Kashmir, and the government deployed the Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary force. Protests were met with...

The Abia State Government has held a Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service to rededicate Abia State to God Almighty. The service, held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the JAAC Secretariat, Umuahia, with the theme "Remembering the Covenant," was attended by top government officials, clergy and stakeholders from across the State. In his address, the Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr.

When activist Shahzaib Habib was killed by unidentified men on the night of June 6 in Rawalakot, Pakistan, protesters took custody of his body from the combined military hospital and staged a sit-in outside the hospital, demanding that an investigation be opened into his murder. Habib was a close associate of the leadership of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, or JAAC, a coalition of local traders, civil society members and political activists who spent the past three years organizing demonstrations across Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

MUZAFFARABAD – A road-clearing operation in Azad Kashmir turned deadly after armed members allegedly linked to the banned Joint Awami…

The second part of this three-part series examines how Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was transformed from a negotiating partner into a proscribed ‘terrorist’ enti...

Pakistan’s growing use of security measures against dissent is becoming a permanent governance feature, an analysis warns.

Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has approved automatic employment into the state civil service for 19 best-graduating students of the third cohort of the Abia TechRise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills development programme. The governor announced the decision on Thursday, August 21, 2026, during the graduation ceremony of 850 youths who completed the three-month programme at the JAAC Secretariat in Umuahia.

New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Pakistani establishment has been further exposed after the residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) intensified their protests across the region. The footprint of the protesters in PoK has only widened and this has exposed Islamabad’s claim that the protests are confined only to Rawalot. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has completely rejected Islamabad’s claim and said that the protests are now spread across PoK. The JAAC said that the mobilisation has now spread across Sudhanoti. The JAAC has also announced a long march to Muzaffarabad.

In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, a coalition of local politicians, activists and small-business leaders called the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has been leading mass protests over the soaring ...

PoK unrest, internet restrictions and media curbs have raised questions over Pakistan’s Kashmir narrative, according to a MEMRI report.

MUZAFFARABAD — A fresh controversy erupted along the Line of Control after claims emerged that the Indian Army displayed videos linked to the banned Awami Action Committee in the Keran sector during Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations. According to allegations, videos were screened on large displays on August 13 and 14 at a location in the […] The post India–JAAC Nexus exposed as Keran Screens spark Fresh Propaganda Row appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

Join the JKJAC, a peaceful civic movement dedicated to advocating for rights, fair governance, and dignity in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Discover how we promote justice and equality in the region.

Thousands joined protests across PoK in support of JAAC, amid allegations of violence by Pakistani forces and demands for political and economic reforms.

WEB DESK: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police on Thursday claimed that eight highway police personnel deployed for election duty had been abducted by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), alleging that the officials were being held and subjected to violence. AJK police spokesperson SSP Khawar Ali Shaukat made the allegation in a televised press conference, accusing the proscribed group of attacking security forces deployed for election duties and attempting to challenge the writ of the state. “Eight highway police officials on election duty were abducted,” Shaukat said, adding that the personnel were allegedly in the custody of the JAAC and had been subjected to violence. The spokesperson also alleged that the group had threatened the families of the abducted officials. Shaukat described the JAAC as a “violent” group and alleged that it was working on a specific agenda aimed at undermining state institutions and disrupting peace in the region. He said the state would not tolerate violence or attempts to challenge its writ, stressing that wherever the writ of the state was challenged, action would be taken in accordance with the law and the Constitution. “The state was not weak before and is not weak now,” the police spokesperson said, warning that the state’s restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. He alleged that the group had been pursuing what he described as a violent and disruptive course for the past four years, with the objective of undermining state institutions and disturbing peace. The police spokesperson also accused the group of using children and members of the public as shields during protests and urged parents to remain vigilant about their children. He claimed that the people of AJK had rejected the JAAC’s approach by participating in elections and choosing a democratic path to elect their representatives. According to Shaukat, the electoral process not only demonstrated public support for the democratic system but also helped restore the writ of the state. He appealed to people to distance themselves from the proscribed group and refrain from becoming involved in activities that challenge the state’s writ. Shaukat called on the JAAC to release the eight 'abducted' police personnel. He warned that the state would not accept any pressure concerning the safety of the officials and said strict action would be taken if the personnel were harmed, obstacles were created in their release or threats against their families continued. “If the state’s writ is challenged and state officials are subjected to violence, the state will perform its duties in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” he said. The police spokesperson’s allegations come amid heightened tensions in AJK, where the JAAC has been holding protests over a range of demands, including opposition to 12 seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir. Clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot and Mirpur on July 28 reportedly resulted in several casualties, intensifying tensions in the region. The government has previously accused elements involved in the unrest of pursuing a foreign agenda and receiving Indian funding, allegations rejected by those involved in the protests. AJK Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif had earlier said that seven law enforcement personnel, including police and Rangers personnel, were killed during the recent unrest. The latest police claim of the abduction of eight highway police personnel adds another serious dimension to the ongoing tensions, with authorities warning that violence against security personnel and challenges to the state’s writ would be met with action under the law. The post JAAC ‘abducted’ eight personnel on election duty, claim AJK police appeared first on HUM News English.

Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) police said on Thursday that eight highway police personnel on election duty had been “abducted” by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). Addressing a televised press conference, police spokesperson Khawar Ali Shaukat alleged that the JAAC attacked security forces deputed on election duty in the region. “Eight highway police officials on election duty were abducted,” he said as state media shared a collage of the officials’ pictures. “The personnel are in the custody of JAAC and have been subjected to brutal abuse,” he said. He said that the “miscreants also threatened the families of the personnel that they would be martyred if their demands were not met”. He said that recent events showed that the JAAC was not a peaceful group, but a violent one intent on challenging the state’s writ and weakening institutions. “I want to make it clear that the state was not and is not weak. The state has always shown restraint,” he said, adding that violent acts for the sake of rights were not above the law. He said that the people of the region, by participating in polls in the region, had made it clear that they had nothing to do with the proscribed group. He appealed to the public to disassociate themselves from the JAAC and to not get involved in acts where the state’s writ was challenged. He appealed to parents to keep an eye on their children, saying: ““They play with the future of young people and instigate them against state through misleading propaganda and provocative statements.” At the end of his press conference, he called on the JAAC to free the abducted personnel. “The state will not accept any pressure with regards to the lives of these officials. If the personnel are harmed, obstacles are created in their release or threats to their families continue, the state will not show any leniency,” he said. “If the state’s writ is challenged and if state officials are subjected to violence … the state will carry out its duties in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” he said, vowing strict action against such elements. “Any group that challenges the state’s writ will be dealt with accordingly,” he said. The JAAC, which has been demanding the abolishment of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for refugees from Indian-held Kashmir, has been holding protests in the region for several weeks now. Clashes took place between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot and Mirpur on July 28, which reportedly resulted in several casualties. Amid the tensions, elections are being held across the region in phases. The government has accused militant elements “pursuing a foreign agenda and backed by Indian funding” of fomenting the unrest. Last week, AJK Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif said that seven law enforcement personnel, including those from police and Rangers, were martyred during recent unrest in the region.

In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, a coalition of local politicians, activists and small-business leaders called the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has been leading mass protests over the soaring ...

MIRPUR: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has placed 10 more residents of the region on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, over their alleged affiliation with the proscribed Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), according to an official notification. Placement on the Fourth Schedule subjects individuals to monitoring by law-enforcement agencies and may involve legal restrictions relating to movement, political and organisational activities, foreign travel and financial transactions. According to the AJK Home Department notification, the decision was taken in light of a resolution adopted at the AJK cabinet meeting held on June 5. The AJK President, exercising powers under Section 16(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, approved the inclusion of the 10 individuals on the Fourth Schedule. Those placed on the list are Ijaz Ahmed Khan, Azra Alam, Muhammad Zohaib Khan, Muhammad Nabeel Tabassum, Zeeshan Ahmed, Raja Waseem Sabir, Raja Muhammad Mansoor Khan, Qaiser Kaleem, Hamza Naseer and Nabeela Irshad. According to the notification, two individuals belong to Bagh, one to Muzaffarabad, two to Poonch and one to Sudhnoti, while district details of the remaining four were not provided. > Allegations include their alleged affiliation with banned JAAC Copies of the notification have been forwarded to the interior ministry, National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), National Counter Terrorism Aut­hority (Nacta), Federal Invest­igation Agency (FIA), AJK chief secretary, police authorities, commissioners, deputy commissioners and other relevant departments. However, the notification does not specify individual allegations or activities attributed to the 10 persons. _Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2026_

London, Aug 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been leading the protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has rejected claims of receiving support from India and urged Islamabad to show proof for such allegations, a report has said. In an interview with UK-based daily The Independent, JAAC advisory council member S.A. Khan said his coalition of civil society and political organisations was "not answerable" to India and rejected claims that it received financial support or was controlled by New Delhi. PoK is currently witnessing the most extensive confrontation between the local population and the Pakistani state in decades, with deadly violence, suspension of internet, and allegations of police brutality amid the local elections.