MUZAFFARABAD (Dunya News) – Azad Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Thursday that eight highway police personnel deployed on election duty had been abducted by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), alleging that the officials were subjected to brutal abuse.
Addressing a televised press conference, AJK Police spokesperson SSP Khawar Ali Shaukat said the JAAC had attacked security forces deployed for election duty in the region and taken eight highway police officials into custody.
“Eight highway police officials on election duty were abducted,” he said, while state media also shared pictures of the officials.
Shaukat alleged that the personnel were in the custody of the JAAC and had been subjected to brutal abuse. He further alleged that the miscreants had threatened the families of the abducted officials, saying they would be martyred if their demands were not met.
The police spokesperson said recent events had made it clear that the JAAC was not a peaceful group but a violent organization seeking to challenge the state’s writ and weaken state institutions.
“I want to make it clear that the state was not and is not weak. The state has always shown restraint,” he said, adding that violent acts could not be justified in the name of rights and were not above the law.
Shaukat said people of the region had demonstrated through their participation in elections that they had nothing to do with the proscribed organization. He appealed to the public to disassociate themselves from the JAAC and avoid involvement in activities challenging the state’s writ.
He also urged parents to keep an eye on their children, saying the group was allegedly playing with the future of young people and provoking them against the state through misleading propaganda and provocative statements.
The AJK police spokesperson called on the JAAC to immediately release the abducted personnel.
He warned that the state would not accept any pressure regarding the lives of the officials. He said if the personnel were harmed, obstacles were created in their release or threats against their families continued, the state would not show any leniency.
“If the state’s writ is challenged and state officials are subjected to violence, the state will carry out its duties in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” he said, vowing strict action against such elements.
He added that any group challenging the state’s writ would be dealt with accordingly.
The JAAC has been holding protests in the region for several weeks and has been demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for refugees from Indian-held Kashmir.
Clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel took place in Rawalakot and Mirpur on July 28, reportedly resulting in several casualties. Elections are being held across the region in phases amid the ongoing tensions.
The government has also accused militant elements of pursuing a foreign agenda and receiving Indian funding to foment unrest in the region.
Last week, AJK Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif said seven law-enforcement personnel, including police and Rangers officials, had been martyred during the recent unrest in the region.