ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The federal government has pledged full support to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) administration to ensure peaceful elections, following violent clashes in Rawalakot involving supporters of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
Federal ministers said the government would not allow any group to undermine the democratic process through violence or intimidation and insisted that the people of AJK had rejected attempts to disrupt the polls by participating in large numbers.
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry made the remarks during a joint press conference in Islamabad with Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday, as authorities continued their response to unrest linked to the banned organisation.
The AJK government declared JAAC a proscribed organisation on June 5 under the Anti-Terrorism Act, accusing it of involvement in terrorism. The ban came days before the committee's planned June 9 protest against the 12 AJK Assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.
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Talal alleged that the banned group's campaign was "not a movement to secure rights, but one aimed at taking rights away from the people". He claimed the organisation was attempting to deprive Kashmiris of their right to vote and derail the democratic process.
According to the minister, the first phase of elections in Mirpur Division demonstrated that voters had rejected efforts to disrupt the polls. He said political leaders from Pakistan and AJK had campaigned extensively across the region and maintained that attempts to sabotage the electoral process would not succeed.
Talal further alleged that both domestic and foreign elements were involved in the unrest, claiming the banned JAAC was trying to divert international attention from the elections by creating instability in the region. He also said 37 of the committee's 38 demands had already been accepted, describing the continued protests as unjustified.
The minister alleged that after failing to halt the elections through public support, some elements resorted to violence and disorder. He claimed acts of terrorism were being carried out under the guise of protest, adding that the use of weapons had no place in legitimate public demonstrations.
He reaffirmed that the federal government would provide every possible form of assistance to the AJK administration to protect citizens and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the people of AJK had overwhelmingly rejected what he described as violent elements by actively participating in the elections. He said nearly 600,000 votes were cast across Mirpur Division, demonstrating public support for democracy despite attempts to create unrest.
Tarar said violent groups had failed in their attempts to undermine peaceful elections and would not be allowed to damage the Kashmir cause. He claimed members of the banned organisation had been found in possession of prohibited weapons and alleged that the group unsuccessfully tried to make the elections controversial after the successful completion of polling.
"The people of Kashmir have completely rejected these disruptive elements," Tarar said, adding that the "ugly face" of those involved in violence had now been exposed before both the people of Kashmir and the international community.
He further alleged that the banned JAAC was working against Kashmir's development, peace and longstanding relationship with Pakistan. The minister also claimed the organisation was pursuing a foreign-backed agenda and receiving funding from India.
Tarar stressed that no individual or group would be permitted to impose its will through force or intimidation, saying the government would take every necessary step to preserve peace and stability while standing firmly alongside the AJK administration.
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Earlier in the day, AJK Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif told a separate press conference in Muzaffarabad that the banned JAAC had attempted to disrupt the ongoing electoral process through violence and unrest.
Addressing the media alongside AJK Police spokesperson DIG Irfan Masood Kashfi after the clashes in Rawalakot, Hanif said maintaining law and order remained the state's foremost responsibility. He assured the public that authorities would take all necessary measures to ensure citizens' safety and the smooth conduct of elections.
Hanif alleged that the banned group included armed individuals, militants and people linked to Fitna al-Khawarij, claiming that state institutions possessed evidence of such involvement. He also urged the public to remain cautious of what he described as misleading information circulating about the protests.
The information secretary further claimed that some elements within JAAC had used civilians as human shields during demonstrations. He said the public's participation in the first phase of elections reflected a preference for resolving disputes through peaceful and democratic means.
DIG Kashfi said some protesters involved in the clashes were carrying modern automatic weapons. According to the police spokesperson, five police personnel, including an officer, were injured after coming under fire during the unrest. He appealed to citizens to maintain close coordination with the administration and state institutions, saying public cooperation was vital for maintaining peace.
Separately, Tarar recalled that security agencies had recently arrested a suspect allegedly involved in an India-linked digital influence campaign targeting Pakistan. Citing an ongoing investigation, he said the suspect had been providing digital marketing services and that payments for promoting anti-Pakistan content on social media had allegedly been traced to sources in India.
The minister also claimed investigators had uncovered a network of bot farms used to spread misinformation targeting Pakistan's sovereignty, government, armed forces and state institutions. He further alleged that the suspect told investigators that a significant portion of the content circulated through the network was linked to the activities of the banned JAAC in AJK.