AJK PM vows no talks with ‘rioters’ as over 70 banned JAAC members detained

• Elements involved in sit-ins, arson supporters of TTP: Rathore.
• Non-political group refused to hold negotiations: AJK premier.
• Weapons, suspicious documents recovered from suspects: police.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has said that the government will no longer hold talks with those who spread chaos under the guise of politics.

His statement came a day after the AJK government declared the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws ahead of the group’s planned protest on June 9.

Without naming anyone, PM Rathore said the elements involved in sit-ins, arson and riots are supporters of the banned TTP.

The AJK premier further said that he was a witness to all the negotiations held with the now-banned JAAC in the past. “The non-political and non-parliamentary group refused to come to the negotiating table despite repeated efforts,” he added.

Citing the JAAC leaders’ statement, the AJK PM said that “they will not back down from attacking the state”. The state gives the right to peaceful protest, but blackmailing will never be allowed,” he added.

Meanwhile, at least 72 members of the banned JAAC were arrested in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, said a spokesperson for the Inspector General (IG) of Police earlier today.

The spokesperson said weapons, communication devices and suspicious documents were recovered from the possession of the detained suspects.

A day earlier, the AJK government’s Home Department issued a notification, placing JAAC in the First Schedule.

“Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), also known by names Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and Awami Action Committee (AAC), is engaged in terrorism, acting in a manner prejudicial to the peace and security of the State, involved in creating anarchy in the State by intimidating the public, promoting hatred, and creating a sense of insecurity in society and the public at large,” the notification stated.

It further read that in exercise of powers conferred under Section 12 of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, the AJK president has accorded approval to list JK-JAAC, also known as Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and Awami Action Committee (AAC), in the First Schedule of ATA 2014 as a proscribed organisation for the purposes of the said Act.

The JAAC has previously organised large-scale protests over economic issues and political rights, some of which turned violent and resulted in fatalities during clashes with law enforcement in May 2024 and September 2025.

Its latest protest campaign focuses on a demand to abolish the 12 seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.

AJK PM Rathore said his government had sought a week’s time for the abolishment of the refugee seats, but the JAAC did not agree.