Raja Amjad Khan says Rawalakot protest caused distress and claimed several lives during prolonged unrest
Former JAAC core member Raja Amjad Ali Khan called on the group’s leaders to immediately call off the month-long Rawalakot long march and sit-in. PHOTO: EXPRESS
MUZZAFARABAD:
Former core member of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) Raja Amjad Ali Khan on Sunday appealed to the leadership of JAAC, Umar Nazeer Kashmiri and Khawaja Mehran, to immediately withdraw the call for the long march and sit-in in Rawalakot, which has been going on for more than a month.
In a video message, he said that the prolonged protest in Rawalakot had caused immense hardship to the people of Rawalakot Division, especially Rawalakot, and said that several precious lives had also been lost during the unrest.
Khan urged the people of Rawalakot not to join disruptive elements and instead support efforts to restore peace and stability. He also appealed to the Kashmiri diaspora in the UK and other countries not to rely on unverified information circulating on social media and to play a constructive role in promoting peace in the region.
“The time has come to free the people of Rawalakot from these hardships and restore peace, stability and normal life,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government spokesperson Chaudhry Guftar Hussain and AJK Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Masood Kashfi told a joint press conference that both the AJK government and the Pakistan government had consistently prioritized dialogue, reconciliation and peaceful resolution of public issues.
They said that under the October 4, 2025 agreement, all 38 demands of the now-banned JAAC had been accepted in the larger public interest. However, they claimed that the committee later deviated from fundamental rights demands and pursued anti-state objectives, leading to its being banned under the Act.
The government spokesman said the 36-day sit-in had severely disrupted the supply of food, medicine and other essential commodities in Rawalakot Division. He said blockades on highways and link roads had paralyzed public movement and created shortages of essential items in several areas.
DIG Kashfi said the government had both a constitutional and moral obligation to restore blocked roads, but claimed that any attempt to reopen them had been met with resistance and gunfire from members of the JAAC.
He claimed that road clearing teams in Shujaabad came under heavy firing from adjoining areas and nearby forests, injuring policemen. In Arja-Jhandala, he said, a bulldozer operator was injured after the machine came under fire while clearing a blocked road, while security personnel escorting the injured operator were also hit.
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The government spokesman further claimed that JAAC planned to use women and children as human shields by placing them in front of law enforcement personnel, holding them against their will and passing them on with copies of the Holy Quran and white flags. Calling such alleged plans reprehensible, he said the Holy Quran should not be used in any confrontation or protest as it was against its sanctity and Islamic teachings.
He also described incitement, attacks on law enforcement agencies and damage to public property as unacceptable.
The spokespersons warned that JAAC would be held responsible for any untoward incidents arising out of the ongoing protests.
They reiterated that maintaining the rule of law and providing relief to citizens remained the constitutional responsibility of the government. They also confirmed that the upcoming AJK Legislative Assembly elections would be held in accordance with the announced schedule, with no possibility of postponement or changes, adding that all administrative and security arrangements had been completed to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections.
The spokespersons appealed to the public and urged AJK residents to participate responsibly in the democratic process by exercising their right to vote and reject inflammatory propaganda, rumors and divisive narratives. They said preservation of peace, stability and rule of law was a shared responsibility and urged people to remain vigilant against what they described as misleading campaigns aimed at damaging AJK’s peaceful image.
They added that the AJK government and other state institutions would continue to protect peace, uphold the rule of law and protect public interest at all costs.
