AJK restores 177 FIRs against JAAC amid rising tensions

MUZAFFARABAD – The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Thursday revoked earlier concessions granted in protest-related cases and reinstated 177 First Information Reports (FIRs) against members of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), citing violations of the October 4, 2025 agreement between the two sides. The decision comes amid heightened tensions in the region following recent violent clashes and competing claims over casualties and governance grievances. Official sources have confirmed at least seven deaths in the latest unrest. The AJK government had last week imposed a ban on the JAAC, accusing the group of involvement in activities linked to terrorism, incitement of hatred, and attempts to create disorder in the region. The move followed the committee’s call for a protest on June 9. The JAAC has previously led large-scale demonstrations over economic and administrative reforms, some of which turned violent in clashes with law enforcement in May 2024 and September 2025. According to official statements, the government concluded that the JAAC had breached the October 2025 agreement by returning to street agitation instead of pursuing dialogue through the implementation mechanism established under the accord. As a result, previously withdrawn protest-related cases have now been restored. A notification issued by the Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Department in Muzaffarabad confirmed the development following approval by the AJK Cabinet in its 41st meeting held on June 5, 2026. The notification stated that earlier orders granting relief in protest-related cases had been withdrawn with presidential approval, effectively reversing concessions issued between December 2024 and December 2025. It also directed law enforcement, judiciary, and administrative authorities to implement the decision and proceed with legal action. The reinstated FIRs pertain to protests held in September and October 2025, during which the JAAC had launche