THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Sedition cases, ‘head money’ against JAAC leaders ordered <p>• Clashes with law enforcers reported as rallies from various parts of region attempt to converge on Muzaffarabad<br>• Several feared dead, two cops among scores injured<br>• PM Rathore urges a return to talks<br>• Five held from Muzaffarabad on suspicion of ‘links to foreign agencies’</p> <p>MUZAFFARABAD: Parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) remained in the throes of a crippling shutter-down strike on Tuesday, which was punctuated by clashes between law enforcers and supporters of the recently-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).</p> <p>The AJK government has issued orders to initiate sedition proceedings against two JAAC figures, and also announced a Rs10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of four of the group leaders.</p> <p>At the same time, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore urged a return to the negotiating table in a bid to end the tensions that have gripped the region over the past few days.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2006082">clashes</a> occurred when protesters from different areas of Mirpur division, comprising Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli districts, took out…

Shops shut and streets empty in Azad Kashmir as banned group defies ... By Staff Reporter RAWALAKOT: The streets of this mountain city in Azad Jammu and Kashmir were quiet on Monday under a second consecutive day of shuttered shops and absent traffic — an uneasy stillness that followed weekend clashes that left eleven people dead, including four law enforcement officers, and that a banned political committee was seeking to channel into a region-wide general strike and protest march. The violence, which erupted late Sunday night in Rawalakot, represented the bloodiest episode yet in a months-long campaign by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a proscribed organisation that has pressed the regional government on a range of economic and political grievances, most prominently the abolition of subsidised quotas for government jobs and university seats for Azad Kashmir residents. What began as a standoff spiralled into what officials described as a coordinated, paramilitary-style assault on security forces, leaving the territory’s administration to weigh a show of overwhelming force against the risk of further inflaming a restive public. By Monday, authorities had rounded up more than 20…

Clashes reported from AJK as JAAC holds demonstrations <p>MUZAFFARABAD: Despite the weekend, a shutter-down strike was observed across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday, alongside demonstrations <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2013051">called</a> by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), with clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel reported from several areas, particularly in Mirpur district.</p> <p>Sources and residents said that around a dozen people, including some policemen, had been injured in clashes in Dadyal, the lakeside town of Mirpur district. There were also reports of some casualties, but these could not be independently verified.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the internet suspension in AJK entered its 30th day on Sunday.</p> <p>In Dadyal, clashes first erupted in Amb village. Witnesses said at least three people were injured.</p> <p>Another clash broke out later in the evening, after which another critically injured protester was brought to the Divisional Headquarters Hospital in Mirpur.</p> <p>Officials at the Mirpur Divisional Headquarters Hospital told <em>Dawn</em> they had received four injured persons, two of whom were said to be in cr…

AJK govt cracks down on JAAC after imposition of ban <p>• Police arrest at least 72 people, recover ‘weapons, suspicious documents’<br>• Situation tense in Poonch after trader gunned down in ‘clash with police’</p> <p>MUZAFFARABAD: Auth­or­it­ies in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Saturday launched a crackdown on the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2005584">proscribed</a> Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), arresting scores of its leaders and activists from different areas.</p> <p>“In fulfilment of its responsibility to maintain public order and protect the lives and properties of citizens, police have arrested around 72 people affiliated with the proscribed JAAC over the past 18 hours,” said a handout issued by a spokesperson for police chief Liaqat Ali Malik.</p> <p>“During initial action, weapons, communication gadgets, suspicious documents, material related to plans that could adversely affect public order and organised mechanisms for violent agitational activities had been found, in addition to indications of questionable contacts with patrons and foreigners which are being investigated under law,” it added.</p> <p>The police spokesperson said the police and other institu…

AJK govt initiates probe against banned JAAC leaders over sedition ... The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has begun legal proceedings against proscribed Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leaders Shaukat Nawaz Mir and Khawaja Mehran Arshad on charges of sedition and anti-state activities. Muzaffarabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) has been tasked with completing investigations against Mir under Section 124-A of the AJK Penal Code, while Mirpur SSP will probe allegations against Arshad. After reviewing available material, the AJK Home Department said that the allegations warranted further investigation under the law. According to the Home Department, investigations have been ordered into alleged criminal speeches, writings, publications and electronic communications. The department further instructed relevant district police chiefs to complete investigations under Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and submit challans before the relevant courts. The AJK government declared the JAAC a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws on June 5, saying the group was "engaged in terrorism, acting in a manner prejudicial to the peace and …

JAAC ban <p>TENSION has once again gripped Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with the region’s administration <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2005462">proscribing</a> the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee on Friday, ahead of a protest <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2002661">planned</a> on June 9. The AJK government has also <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2005432">ordered</a> visitors to leave the region at the peak of the tourist season, while communications have experienced disruptions.</p> <p>Such confrontations between the AJK authorities and the JAAC have become all too frequent over the past few years; the last major flare-up occurred in <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1946524">October</a>, resulting in deaths as protesters and authorities clashed. The JAAC has evolved from advocating for civic rights for the local people to demanding constitutional changes. In particular, the organisation wants the abolition of 12 seats reserved for refugees from India-held Kashmir who have settled in the region. General elections are scheduled for AJK on July 27.</p> <p>Though the JAAC’s demands are open to scrutiny, banning any political party or organisation — as long as it r…

AJK govt bans Joint Awami Action Committee under Anti-Terrorism Act <p>The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Friday declared the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a proscribed organisation and placed it under the First Schedule of the region’s Anti-Terrorism Act 2014.</p> <p>The notification by AJK’s Home Department said the group is “engaged in terrorism” and has acted in a manner “prejudicial to peace and security” of the state.</p> <p>It further stated that JAAC is involved in “creating anarchy in the state by intimidating public, promoting hatred and creating a sense of insecurity in society and public at large etc”.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- media--uneven media--stretch' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/06/05234047367a304.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/06/05234047367a304.webp' alt='' /></picture></div> </figure> <p>“Now, therefore, in exercise of powers conferred under section 12 of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, the President, Azad Jammu and Kashmir has accorded approval to list the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (…

AJK Braces for Long March as JAAC Protest Tensions Continue Across ... News 9 June 2026 at 9:34 am Back to News AJK Braces for Long March as JAAC Protest Tensions Continue Across Region Share News latest AJK Braces for Long March as JAAC Protest Tensions Continue Across Region AJK Braces for Long March as JAAC Protest Tensions Continue The situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) remains tense as the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) prepares for a region-wide strike and long march toward Muzaffarabad. Following deadly clashes in Rawalakot that left multiple civilians and law enforcement personnel dead, authorities have tightened security measures and warned against large public gatherings. Planned Long March and Strike According to reports, the JAAC has called for a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike across various parts of AJK. The organisation also announced a long march beginning from Bhimber and passing through major districts before reaching Muzaffarabad, where participants intend to stage a sit-in outside the AJK Legislative Assembly. Government officials have stated that no unauthorized marches or large-scale gatherings will be allowed, citing public safety an…

Partial strike persists across AJK as JAAC sit-ins continue <p>• Authorities tighten crackdown on group’s activists as businesses are seized and raids conducted<br>• Internet outage enters eighth day, affecting students and freelancers<br>• Ex-president urges JAAC to end agitation unconditionally</p> <p>MUZAFFARABAD: Two sit-ins by activists and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) continued on the fringes of Rawalakot for the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2007488">fourth consecutive day</a> amid a partial shutter-down strike across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Saturday.</p> <p>Though no untoward incident had been reported until evening, disruption of mobile phone services in Rawalakot after 8:30pm hindered the only means of ascertaining information about the latest situation in the ‘embattled’ town.</p> <p>According to official sources and witnesses, participants in the gathering at Eidgah Ground had also dispersed during a downpour in the early hours of Saturday to relieve themselves and have breakfast in adjacent areas, either in their own homes or those of their local hosts, as they had done a day earlier.</p> <p>However, around 400 youngste…

AJK flare-up <p>MATTERS have worsened in the stand-off between the Azad Kashmir government and the Joint Awami Action Committee, which has recently been proscribed by the regional administration. The situation started deteriorating after a trader affiliated with the JAAC was reportedly <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2006082/at-least-7-civilians-killed-during-sunday-clash-between-police-jaac-protesters-in-ajks-rawalakot-official">shot</a> in an altercation with law-enforcers on Saturday. The following day protesters and LEAs <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2006025/four-cops-martyred-20-injured-as-ajk-protest-spirals">clashed</a> outside a Rawalakot hospital where the victim’s body was brought, resulting in the deaths of at least four policemen and seven protesters.</p> <p>This unfortunate series of events echoes similar confrontations between the AJK government and JAAC over the past few years, where dialogue over protesters’ demands has alternated with deadly violence. The region is particularly on edge as the JAAC has called for a major strike today. With the proscription of the group and the deaths in clashes with the administration, emotions are high all round and better…

Sedition cases, bounties ordered against JAAC leaders A shutdown strike and clashes continued in AJK as the government ordered sedition proceedings against two JAAC leaders and announced a Rs10 million reward for four figures. The AJK premier urged a return to talks while rights groups voiced concern over the violence. News Desk June 10, 2026 MUZAFFARABAD: A shutdown strike continued across parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday as clashes broke out between law enforcers and supporters of the recently banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), while the regional government ordered sedition proceedings against two of the group’s leaders and announced a Rs10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of four JAAC figures. The unrest unfolded as protesters from different parts of Mirpur division — including Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli districts — came out in rallies under the JAAC’s call for a long march toward Poonch division and onward to Muzaffarabad. In Mirpur, hundreds assembled outside Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Stadium before marching toward Plaak bridge, where another rally from Dadyal led by Khawaja Mehran Arshad joined them near the Kotli district border. …

Four cops martyred, 20 injured as AJK protest spirals <p>• Two killed, dozens hurt as riot police use tear gas, batons to disperse protesters<br>• IGP terms attack on CMH ‘outright terrorism’<br>• AJK SC says changes to Constitution ‘not a concession to be wrested from govt’</p> <p>MUZAFFARABAD: At least four policemen were martyred and 20 were injured after fierce clashes broke out with supporters of the newly-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawlakot, police said on Sunday.</p> <p>A statement issued on Sunday night by the office of AJK police chief Liaqat Ali Malik said four police personnel were martyred when demonstrators “attacked” CMH Rawalakot on Sunday.</p> <p>The statement maintained the men had been shot by firearms and shotguns, terming it outright “terrorism” and vowing not to compromise on the safety of citizens and public peace.</p> <p>Additionally, officials said that at least two people from among the protesters had lost their lives, while dozens were said to be injured. Locals fear that the toll could be much higher. The flow of information from AJK has been curtailed by the closure of mobile data services across the region.</p> <p>Tensions flared…

PPP links AJK election to peace in region <p>• Bilawal urges protesters to call off sit-ins<br>• Party’s AJK wing wants election schedule withdrawn as PML-N insists on elections without delay<br>• Two deaths reported from Rawalakot</p> <p>ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a rethink of the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the PPP swung into action on Sunday, with its chairman urging the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to end its protests and its AJK chapter asking the Election Commission to withdraw the election schedule.</p> <p>The developments came as two people were killed and eight others injured in a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2006025">clash</a> between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot.</p> <p>PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2007765/bilawal-calls-for-end-to-ajk-protests-as-unrest-damaging-pakistans-reputation-amid-global-spotlight">appealed </a>to protesters in AJK to end their demonstrations, warning that the unrest was “damaging both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s international reputation”.</p> <p>In a statement, the PPP chairman said the imminent signing of the Pakistan-mediated peace agreeme…

AJK govt begins legal action against banned JAAC leaders over … Published June 09, 2026 The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has initiated formal legal proceedings against banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leaders Shaukat Nawaz Mir and Khawaja Mehran Arshad over allegations of sedition and anti-state activities. Muzaffarabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) has been tasked with completing investigations against Mir under Section 124-A of the AJK Penal Code, while Mirpur SSP will probe allegations against Arshad. After reviewing available material, the AJK Home Department said that the allegations warranted further investigation under the law. According to the Home Department, investigations have been ordered into alleged criminal speeches, writings, publications and electronic communications. The department further instructed relevant district police chiefs to complete investigations under Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and submit challans before the relevant courts. The AJK government declared the JAAC a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws on June 5, saying the group was "engaged in terrorism, acting in a mann…

AJK PM Defends JAAC Ban After 72 Arrests Crackdown - Pakistan Today AJK Police launch a wide crackdown after the government bans JAAC under anti-terror laws, arresting about 72 people and seizing alleged weapons and documents. JAAC rejects charges and confirms its June 9 long march will proceed. Saleem Jadoon June 7, 2026 Crackdown launched after government bans action committee under anti-terror laws Authorities claim recovery of weapons, devices and sensitive documents Allegations of plans to disrupt law and order and target state institutions Internet disruptions and raids reported amid widening security operation JAAC rejects charges, confirms June 9 long march will proceed AJK PM defends ban, says move unavoidable to prevent chaos MUZAFFARABAD/ISLAMABAD:The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Police on Saturday launched a wide-ranging crackdown on the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), arresting around 72 individuals allegedly linked to the organisation, as its leadership rejected all allegations and reaffirmed that the planned long march scheduled for June 9 would go ahead, a day after the government imposed a ban on the group under anti-terrorism laws. The crackdown fo…

AJK braces for long march as tensions persist <p>• ‘Proscribed’ JAAC to go ahead with rally from Bhimber to Muzaffarabad, sit-in outside assembly<br>• Officials say govt ‘will not allow’ march to go ahead; large crowds unlikely since group’s leadership is ‘on the run’</p> <p>MUZAFFARABAD: In the aftermath of Sunday night’s<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2006025"> fierce clashes </a>that claimed the lives of seven civilians and four law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) braced for a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on Tuesday (today) , announced by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Com­mittee (JAAC).</p> <p>According to initial plans, the JAAC had decided that protesters would start a long march from the southernmost district of Bhimber, passing through Mirpur, Kotli and Poonch before reaching Muzaffarabad on June 10 for a sit-in outside the Legislative Assembly.</p> <p>Government officials, meanwhile, appeared hopeful about the prospects of a tepid response to the protest call for several reasons, including the recent crackdown. In action against JAAC, the authorities had rounded up more than 200 people across the region and forced others into hi…

Public unrest resurges in AJK after agreement stalls January 13, 2026 By Farhan Tariq MUZAFFARABAD Public unrest in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) has once again taken a serious turn. The agreement reached on October 4, 2025, between the Jammu & Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), federal ministers, and the AJK government—hailed at the time as a significant step toward ending the protest movement—has now become mired in severe controversy. Despite the expiration of the stipulated 90-day implementation period on January 3, 2026, the lack of tangible progress has sparked intense disappointment and anxiety among the public. From long march to agreement The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee announced a long march toward the capital Muzaffarabad on September 29, 2025, based on a 38-point charter of demands. A day before the march, on September 28, state authorities suspended mobile and internet services. However, despite this measure, people began the long march on September 29. Thousands of people from all three divisions of Azad Kashmir reached Kohala on October 3, 2025, where the Action Committee leadership set up camp. During this time, a new round of negotiations with …

AJK bans JAAC under Anti-Terrorism law as PM warns against “mob … June 6, 2026 By Ahmed Saeed MUZAFFARABAD The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Friday June 6, declared the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC) a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2014, just three days before the group’s planned June 9 wheel-jam strike. The move also came hours after the Election Commission announced July 27 as the date for general elections in the region. The decision was approved by the AJK president under Section 12 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 2014. A notification issued by the Home Department placed JK-JAAC in the First Schedule of the law and accused the organisation of engaging in activities prejudicial to peace and security. According to the notification, the committee has been creating anarchy by intimidating the public, promoting hatred and creating a sense of insecurity in society. Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore defended the decision, saying the government was fulfilling its responsibility to protect citizens and maintain law and order. In a post on X, he said the government had so far taken precautionary measures to safeguard the lives a…

Semblance of normalcy returns to AJK as strike dwindles <p><strong>• Officials term JAAC’s call for election boycott ‘an attempt to remain in the spotlight’<br>• AJK govt set to unveil Rs286bn budget today</strong></p> <p>MUZAFFARABAD: As leaders of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) urge their supporters to boycott next month’s polls in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), the administration sees the effort as an attempt to keep themselves in the spotlight.</p> <p>In a video circulating on social media, a JAAC leader – identified by an official as Umar Nazir Kashmiri – can be heard asking the crowd: “After the way this game has been played with us, will you still take part in this sham and fraudulent election?” The crowd responds with a resounding ‘no’.</p> <p>Official sources said JAAC leaders are now employing emotionally charged rhetoric to keep their supporters mobilised amid the ongoing standoff with the government.</p> <p>Confirming the development, Poonch divisional commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan identified the speaker as Umar Nazir. Explaining their logic, he said they think that if people turn towards electioneering, the JAAC and its cause will lose relevance.</p> …

JAAC warns of ‘march on Muzaffarabad’ if demands not met <p><strong>• Sets July 14 as deadline for ‘acceptance’ of its demands<br>• Two die near Rawalakot as forces clear path for convoy carrying food items</strong></p> <p>MUZAFFARABAD: The proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) announced on Thursday that it would resume its long march on Muzaffarabad on July 15, if its demands remained unmet.</p> <p>Addressing participants at the Eidgah sit-in, JAAC core member Umar Nazir Kashmiri said the alliance would stage a long march on Muzaffarabad on July 15 if its charter of demands was not implemented by July 14.</p> <p>He said the long march, which had been<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2006256"> halted </a>in Rawalakot on June 10, would resume under the already announced standard operating procedures.</p> <p>“Once again, the JAAC seeks implementation of its charter of demands by July 14. If there is no progress by the evening of July 14, we will make a new announcement on July 15. That day, there will neither be this charter of demands nor any demand for the implementation of any agreement. God willing, we will leave this place with a new announcement,” he said.</p> <p>Kas…

Banned JAAC central leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir arrested: … Published June 30, 2026 DHIRKOT: Central leader of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), Shaukat Nawaz Mir, was arrested along with an associate in Dhirkot, Muzaffarabad Deputy Commissioner Munir Qureshi said on Tuesday. The DC said Mir was arrested by police and security personnel from the Hail Sarang area. It is noteworthy to mention here that the AJK government had imposed a ban on the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on June 5 under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) after violent protests. The group's latest protest campaign centres on its demand to abolish the 12 seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947. The federal government has described the demand to abolish the reserved seats for Kashmiri voters residing in Pakistan as an attempt to disrupt the electoral process ahead of the July 27 elections for the 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly. Earlier this month, an All Parties Conference (APC) convened at the Prime Minister's Secretariat in Muzaffaraba…

JAAC protest in Rawalakot ‘dwindles’ as shutter-down strike continues across AJK <p>• Curfew-like restrictions eased<br>• Commercial activity takes a hit as internet outages affect ATMs<br>• AJK Legislative Assembly to meet today</p> <p>MUZAFFARABAD: The standoff between law enforcement personnel and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot seemed to be winding down, with officials claiming on Monday that the days-long protest had visibly shrink.</p> <p>According to officials, who spo­ke to <em>Dawn</em> on condition of anony­mity, the central gathering at the Eidgah Ground is steadily shrinking, with most participants from other areas having quietly left.</p> <p>The majority of those still present are residents of nearby localities who arrive in the afternoon and return home late at night, an official said.</p> <p>The official maintained that law enforcement personnel had only engaged armed activists, and ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the proscribed group, stating that its members would either have to surrender or face strict legal action.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven…

State institutions have evidence of Indian funding behind JAAC’s agenda in AJK: official <p>Azad Jammu and Kashmir Information Department Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif claimed on Monday that state institutions had evidence of Indian funding behind the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2005462">banned</a> Joint Awami Action Committee’s (JAAC) “agenda” in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.</p> <p>Addressing a press conference in Muzaffarabad, the information secretary said that state institutions had credible information about foreign funding behind ongoing activities in AJK.</p> <p>“The institutions have evidence of the use of Indian funding to mobilise overseas Kashmiris, such as UK-based Amjad Ayub Mirza, to advance an anti-Pakistan agenda,” Hanif said.</p> <p>He urged the people of AJK to dismiss the “baseless disinformation campaign on social media” and participate in the “due political process to restore peace and order in the region”.</p> <p>The information secretary elaborated that for the past month, members of the proscribed organisation had carried out multiple “illegal and violent” activities under the guise of human rights advocacy.</p> <p>“This apparent human rights movement h…

AJK puts 147 JAAC activists, supporters on Fourth Schedule <p>MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has placed 147 activists and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, even as a standoff between the group’s protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot continued on Friday and a region-wide strike entered its 11th day.</p> <p>According to official notifications issued by the AJK Home Department, those placed on the Fourth Schedule included 33 activists from Poonch, 31 from Sudhnoti, 15 each from Kotli and Bagh, 14 from Mirpur, 10 from Bhimber, eight each from Neelum and Haveli, and four from Muzaffarabad.</p> <p>The notifications said the decision had been taken at the 41st meeting of the AJK cabinet on June 5.</p> <blockquote class="blockquote-level-1"> <p>Strike enters its 11th day; life remains disrupted across much of Poonch, Muzaffarabad divisions</p> </blockquote> <p>Official sources said more names could be added to the Fourth Schedule on the basis of intelligence reports and ongoing investigations. One official claimed that the properties of those placed on the list could also be attach…

AJK remains shut for third straight day <p>MUZAFFARABAD: At least one person, who participated in a gathering organised by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), was killed and four others injured in a clash with law enforcement personnel on the outskirts of Rawalakot on Thursday, as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) observed a complete shutter-down strike for the third consecutive day .</p> <p>An official told <em>Dawn</em> that thousands of protesters from Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli districts in Mirpur Division, as well as Sudhnoti and parts of Poonch districts in Poonch Division, had converged on Eidgah Ground on the eastern outskirts of Rawalakot since Wednesday evening.</p> <p>Smaller groups of protesters had also gathered at two other locations on the southern and northern edges of the town.</p> <p>According to witnesses, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, a core JAAC member <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2006540">facing</a> sedition charges, delivered a “highly provocative” speech to the gathering at Eidgah Ground. The speech was streamed live on social media despite the suspension of internet services by all major providers across AJK since Friday last week.</p> <figure c…

Bilawal calls for end to AJK protests as unrest 'damaging' Pakistan's reputation amid global spotlight <p>PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday appealed to those protesting in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to end their demonstrations, cautioning that the ongoing unrest was “damaging both the Kashmiri cause and Pakistan’s reputation”.</p> <p>The situation in the region has been tense in the past few weeks as supporters of the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2005462">recently proscribed</a> Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) have been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2007661">staging protests</a>, some of which <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2006082">turned violent</a>, and observing a strike in various areas.</p> <p>The AJK administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2002661"><u>12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly</u></a> that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947.</p> <p>In a statement issued on Sunday, Bilawal — whose PPP is in government in AJK — noted that the imminent signi…

JAAC protesters in AJK's Poonch district disperse on fears of major crackdown <p>MUZAFFARABAD: All three gatherings of the activists and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) at the fringes of Rawalakot dispersed and their participants returned to their respective areas shortly after midnight, officials said on Friday.</p> <p>The development reportedly came after indications that authorities had planned a major operation to uproot the protesters, who had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2007228">converged</a> from various districts on the eastern outskirts of Rawalakot in Poonch district.</p> <p>The regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2002661"><u>12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly</u></a> that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947.</p> <p>“There is not a single participant at any of the three sit-in sites on the outskirts of Rawalakot. All have unconditionally surrendered before the state and have returned, rather fled, back to their respective are…