Raja Amjad Khan says Rawalakot protest caused hardship and claimed several lives during prolonged unrest
Former JAAC core member Raja Amjad Ali Khan urged 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 proscribed 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 at Rawalakot, which has continued for more than a month.
In a video message, he said the prolonged protest in Rawalakot had caused immense hardship to the people of Rawalakot Division, particularly Rawalakot and said that several precious lives had also been lost during the unrest.
Khan urged the people of Rawalakot not to become part of disruptive elements and instead support efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability. He also appealed to the Kashmiri diaspora in the United Kingdom 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 relieve the people of Rawalakot of 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 Government of AJK and the Government of Pakistan had consistently prioritised dialogue, reconciliation and the peaceful resolution of public issues.
They said that under the October 4, 2025 agreement, all 38 demands of the now-proscribed JAAC had been accepted in the larger public interest. However, they alleged that the committee later deviated from demands relating to fundamental rights and pursued anti-state objectives, leading to its proscription under the law.
The government spokesperson said the 36-day sit-in had severely disrupted the supply of food, medicines and other essential commodities in Rawalakot Division. He said blockades on highways and link roads had paralysed public movement and created shortages of essential items in several areas.
The DIG Kashfi said the government had both a constitutional and moral obligation to restore blocked roads but alleged that every 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 fire from adjoining areas and nearby forests, injuring law enforcement personnel. 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 targeted.
Read More: AJK seeks additional federal forces
The government spokesperson further alleged that the JAAC planned to use women and children as human shields by placing them in front of law enforcement personnel, keeping them at the protest against their will and sending them forward carrying copies of the Holy Quran and white flags. He termed such alleged plans condemnable, saying the Holy Quran should not be used in any confrontation or protest as it was contrary to 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 the JAAC would be held responsible for any untoward incidents arising from the ongoing protests.
They reiterated that maintaining the rule of law and providing relief to citizens remained the government’s constitutional responsibility. They also reaffirmed that the upcoming AJK Legislative Assembly elections would be held according to the announced schedule, with no possibility of postponement or changes, adding that all administrative and security arrangements had been finalised to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections.
Appealing to the public, the spokespersons urged AJK residents to participate responsibly in the democratic process by exercising their right to vote and rejecting inflammatory propaganda, rumours and divisive narratives. They said preserving peace, stability and the rule of law was a shared responsibility and called on people to remain vigilant against what they described as misleading campaigns aimed at damaging the peaceful image of AJK.
They added that the AJK government and other state institutions would continue to safeguard peace, uphold the rule of law and protect the public interest at all costs.
