Authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have announced a Rs10 million cash reward for information leading to the arrest of senior leaders of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee, as protests, strikes and clashes continue across the region.
The Home Department named four central figures: Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Sardar Aman, and Khawaja Mehran. The JAAC has rejected its designation as a banned organization, saying its campaign is political and focused on rights-based issues.
What is the JAAC and why has it been banned in Azad Kashmir?
The Joint Awami Action Committee is a protest movement demanding sweeping economic and governance reforms in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, including lower electricity tariffs, free healthcare, and the removal of reserved legislative seats. The regional government designated it a proscribed group following severe clashes between protesters and security forces. The JAAC has rejected the ban, saying its activities are political and rights-based.
Tensions escalated further after the killing of a young man, Shahzeb, in Rawalakot during recent unrest. Protesters accused security forces of involvement in his death, a claim authorities denied. Officials instead registered a case against unidentified armed individuals.
His body was later placed outside the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalakot, where demonstrators demanded the withdrawal of restrictions on the group before burial proceedings could continue.
Who are the four JAAC leaders named in the AJK reward notification?
The official notification issued by the Home Department named Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Sardar Aman, and Khawaja Mehran as the four central JAAC leaders subject to the arrest reward.
Individuals providing actionable intelligence would be eligible for the Rs10 million reward, with informants' identities kept strictly confidential, the notification said. A senior police officer told Nukta that all four were currently in hiding and that law enforcement operations were underway to trace them.
What is the current situation on the ground in Pakistan-administered Kashmir?
A strike call issued by the JAAC was observed across multiple areas of Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Tuesday. Commercial centers remained shut in several towns, while traffic volumes dropped sharply, reflecting the impact of the shutdown. The region has also faced communication disruptions and mass arrests of JAAC supporters in recent days.
The standoff between the administration and the JAAC has deepened over the past year, with the group remaining at the center of protests and political mobilization across the region.
The administration's decision to ban the committee and announce bounties for its leaders has drawn criticism from those who view the crackdown as an escalation against a grassroots movement. The JAAC, for its part, has shown no indication of standing down.
Comments
See what people are discussing