• Info secy denies JAAC claims of firing on protesters, insists authorities not holding any bodies
• Foreign media outlets criticised for ‘biased, selective’ reporting
• Media watchdog calls on authorities to end communications blackout in the region
MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government said on Monday that seven law enforcement personnel, including those of police and Rangers, were martyred during recent unrest in the region.
In a televised statement on Monday, Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif insisted that the “blacklisted JAAC is sheltering a large number of armed elements and is attempting to undermine peace and the writ of the state”.
The statement came in the wake of clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot and Mirpur last week, which reportedly resulted in several casualties.
The now-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been demanding the abolition of the 12 refugee seats in the local legislature, has been holding protests in the region for several weeks now.
Recalling a press conference held last month, where weapons allegedly recovered from JAAC members were displayed, Mr Hanif said that the seven personnel were martyred from the “same weapons”, while 45 personnel suffered serious injuries and “numerous” others sustained minor injuries.
He said that police and Rangers vehicles were also burned.
Addressing allegations levelled by the JAAC regarding incidents in Rawalakot and surrounding areas between July 27 and July 31, he said they were not only false but “part of a misinformation and propaganda campaign”, which in itself was part of a broader effort to “undermine public order and the writ of the state”.
He stressed that “security institutions of the AJK government have demonstrated the utmost restraint and professionalism while maintaining law and order”.
The information secretary also rejected allegations of unprovoked firing by security forces and withholding bodies, stating that the government had no bodies presently in its custody.
Criticism of foreign news outlets
Mr Hanif also slammed a BBC Urdu report on the Rawalakot clashes as “angled, biased and contrary to the facts”.
“The facts and figures presented in this report are not only incorrect, but they were published without verification or confirmation from the government, police or the civil administration,” he stated, describing the report as “contrary to the ethics of journalism and professionalism”.
Meanwhile, the federal information ministry criticised Al Jazeera’s coverage of the AJK polls, accusing the Qatar-based broadcaster of “selective reporting from handpicked polling stations” in Muzaffarabad.
In its X post, the ministry alleged that the media outlet had “sought to misrepresent the AJK elections and the voting process” through “carefully chosen timings and scripted statements from selected individuals”.
The outlet had reported that the residents of Muzaffarabad were observing a boycott of the polls following unrest in the region, where the proscribed JAAC has been protesting for several weeks.
Later, Al Jazeera’s website was inaccessible on Monday in various parts of Pakistan, social media users reported.
There was no word from Al Jazeera on the matter. Dawn has reached out to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Al Jazeera for a response.
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists — the global press freedom watchdog — expressed concern over what it described as “deteriorating press freedom conditions” in Azad Jammu and Kashmir amid ongoing protests.
“Reports of internet blackouts, telecommunications shutdowns, restrictions on reporting, and the detention and disappearance of journalists are deeply concerning,” it said, calling on the authorities to restore access to information, and allow independent reporting. It also called for the release of journalists allegedly detained for covering the JAAC protests.
Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2026
