The government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has filed a sedition case against Khawaja Mehran Arshad, a leader of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, accusing him of inciting rebellion within the country's security institutions. The case was registered under Section 124-A of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Penal Code. No statement from Arshad or his representatives was immediately available.
Why has AJK filed a sedition case against the JAAC leader?
Authorities allege that Arshad delivered an inflammatory speech aimed at encouraging members of the armed forces and security agencies to act against the state. Officials said the remarks were capable of undermining discipline and cohesion within national security institutions. The case marks a significant escalation in legal action against the JAAC leadership following the group's ban earlier this month under anti-terrorism laws.
When and why was JAAC banned in Pakistan-administered Kashmir?
The ban on JAAC was formalized through a cabinet decision and later approved by Pakistan's president. Authorities cited the group's alleged involvement in violent protests, vandalism and public disorder, holding its leadership responsible for recent unrest in the region. Senior officials told Nukta that no negotiations are planned with the banned organization.
The latest legal action follows deadly clashes between police and JAAC supporters ahead of a planned rally on 9 June. At least seven people were killed and dozens injured during the unrest. Law enforcement authorities have since sealed JAAC's central offices, saying arms and ammunition were recovered during raids.
Who else faces sedition charges in the JAAC crackdown?
Police in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur are also investigating senior JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir under the same sedition provision. The government has ordered the resumption of previously suspended cases against JAAC office-bearers linked to protests, vandalism and public disorder. The Department of Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights issued a notification confirming those cases would proceed in relevant courts.
The government has also announced a PKR 10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of four senior JAAC figures: Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Sardar Aman and Khawaja Mehran Arshad. Officials said any attempt to encourage disobedience or rebellion within the armed forces would be dealt with under the law.
What does JAAC want and how has it responded to the ban?
JAAC emerged as an anti-government movement advocating economic and governance reforms in the region. Its demands include lower energy prices, free healthcare and the abolition of 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiris who relocated to India-administered Kashmir, which the group argues allows major Pakistani political parties to influence the local parliament through an external voter base. JAAC has rejected its designation as a terrorist organization, describing the move as political oppression.
Pakistan's Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, said earlier this month that 35 of the group's 38 demands had already been met.
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