Overview
- The AJK government proscribed the Joint Awami Action Committee in early June and has opened legal cases as authorities say the move is needed to curb violence.
- Street confrontations in early June produced multiple fatalities and injured people, with police saying security personnel were shot and JAAC disputing that account and reporting higher civilian deaths.
- The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court Bar Association urged those involved in the violence to surrender and offered legal aid on June 13, signaling growing legal pressure on JAAC members.
- A federal adviser has publicly alleged that external actors, including members of the Pakistani diaspora in the UK, financed the banned group, and officials say the group rejected repeated offers for a political settlement.
- The dispute centers on JAAC’s demand to abolish 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian‑administered Kashmir, a sensitive issue that could be taken to the AJK legislature and will shape the region’s politics ahead of the July 27 vote.