ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif has accused the banned Action Committee of orchestrating violent protests, attacking law enforcement personnel, damaging public property, and spreading anti-state narratives during demonstrations across the region.
Speaking at a press conference in Muzaffarabad, Rashid Hanif said the committee’s activities had gone far beyond peaceful protest and had instead evolved into a campaign aimed at disrupting public order and undermining state institutions. He alleged that members of the group blocked major roads by felling trees, chanted slogans against the state and national institutions, and subjected police officials to physical violence.
According to the Information Secretary, the committee’s supporters carried out several violent incidents during protests in May, including assaults on police officers and public officials. He claimed that some officers were humiliated by having their uniforms removed in public, while demonstrators used women and children as shields during confrontations with security forces.
Hanif maintained that the government had remained open to dialogue wherever legitimate public demands could be discussed, but said the group’s leadership had chosen confrontation instead of negotiation. He appealed to the peaceful residents of Rawalakot, Poonch, and other areas of AJK not to become part of what he described as a disruptive campaign.
The Information Secretary further alleged that the banned committee had developed links with anti-Pakistan elements, including individuals based abroad. He specifically accused overseas activist Amjad Ayub Mirza of supporting the group’s agenda through foreign backing and said the committee’s leadership was attempting to exploit public grievances for political purposes.
According to Hanif, authorities have registered 79 First Information Reports (FIRs) against key leaders and activists associated with the banned organization. He claimed that their violent actions had caused approximately Rs15 billion in economic losses to the state over the past month.
He also accused the committee of misusing mosques for political announcements and spreading misleading propaganda by displaying images related to Gaza and Indian-administered Kashmir to influence public opinion.
Providing details of past incidents, Hanif said that in May 2023, protesters allegedly attacked the office of the Assistant Commissioner in Dadyal and set an official vehicle on fire. In another incident, a sub-inspector was allegedly shot dead in Islamgarh, while government vehicles and police equipment were damaged in several locations.
He further claimed that in November 2024, Islamabad Police personnel were allegedly taken hostage, assaulted, and stripped of their uniforms during unrest in the region. Similar attacks reportedly occurred at Palak Mirpur, Chamyati, Dhirkot, and other areas where officials and security personnel were allegedly assaulted and government property damaged.
The Information Secretary also alleged that protesters looted trucks carrying food supplies after forcibly shutting down markets in Hajira and threatened local shopkeepers who refused to participate in the strike. He said hundreds of trees were cut down to block highways and disrupt transportation.
Addressing the same press conference, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of AJK Police Irfan Masood claimed that road blockades created by protesters prevented emergency medical assistance from reaching patients in Hajira, resulting in the deaths of three women, including two maternity patients and one woman suffering from heart disease.
The DIG further alleged that protesters stopped vehicles, assaulted civilians and government employees, and forced an Islamabad Police officer to record statements against state institutions at gunpoint while he was travelling to attend his mother’s funeral.
According to Irfan Masood, police recovered deadly weapons and nail-studded clubs from 17 protesters over the past month. He also claimed that on July 5, police personnel came under fire in Dadyal, leaving five officers injured.
The DIG concluded by stating that armed groups were operating among the protesters and engaging in acts of violence and looting. He said the only legal course remaining for the banned Action Committee’s leadership was to surrender before the law, adding that authorities would continue efforts to reopen blocked roads and restore normalcy across the region.
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