• Says leaders must face legal consequences for deaths and violence linked to movement
• Strike continues in parts of territory; life in Mirpur gradually returns to normal
• PM Rathore says proscribed group’s reported outreach to Maulana Fazl vindicates them
MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Tuesday ruled out any blanket amnesty for leaders of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), holding them responsible for recent deaths and violence and vowing to pursue legal action against them.
The regional administration and the JAAC remain divided over several issues, particularly the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 Legislative Assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir who settled in Pakistan after 1947.
Addressing a joint press conference alongside Inspector General of Police (IGP) Liaqat Ali Malik, Chief Secretary Khushal Khan said the JAAC leadership had become divided over the ongoing process of negotiations and mediation.
“There will be no blanket amnesty,” he said, adding that the leadership of the proscribed organisation would have to face the consequences of the deaths and violence linked to its movement.
On Tuesday, a strike called by the JAAC continued in various parts of the region, with Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions observing a partial strike.
Meanwhile, most routine activities had resumed in Mirpur. While some banks across AJK began their operations, connectivity issues persisted as internet services remained suspended. Public transport also remained off the roads in many areas.
Mr Khan said the government had offered the JAAC constitutional avenues, including an all-parties conference, an assembly session and legal recourse, to pursue its demand regarding the 12 refugee seats in the Legislative Assembly.
He claimed that while the government had kept all channels of dialogue open, the organisation had expanded its demands from two points to 38, and then added further demands.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has maintained that 35 out of 38 demands of the JAAC, agreed between it and the government last October, had been fulfilled.
The chief secretary said road blockades and violence were unacceptable, alleging that highways had been obstructed and goods trucks attacked in some areas.
He also claimed that an attempt had been made in Rawalakot to hijack trucks carrying relief supplies, which were later recovered by law enforcement agencies.
Mr Khan said subsidised flour and electricity had placed a financial burden on the government, with power tariff reductions potentially causing annual losses of Rs8bn to Rs10bn. He alleged that the JAAC leadership was attempting to use women and children as “human shields”.
The official further alleged that overseas activists linked to the JAAC were raising anti-state slogans.
He said: “Negotiations will never be held at gunpoint.”
IGP Malik alleged that JAAC activists opened fire on police during a checkpoint inspection on June 5, leaving one activist dead and injuring JAAC leader Umar Nazir and two policemen.
He claimed that a post-mortem examination of the deceased driver had indicated that he was shot in the back of the neck, suggesting that the fatal bullet had come from inside the vehicle rather than from security forces.
The police chief alleged that JAAC activists attacked CMH Rawalakot, killing three policemen, and said law-enforcement agencies would continue action against those involved in “anti-state” activities.
The IGP also alleged that women and children were being used as human shields, adding that there were reports of weapons being concealed under burqas.
Meanwhile, AJK PM Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said reports of the proscribed JAAC seeking mediation from JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman validated the government’s call for dialogue to end the standoff.
Commenting on a video message by the veteran politician, he said the government had, from the outset, urged JAAC leaders not to abandon negotiations and to return to talks.
Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2026