MUZAFFARABAD (MNN); The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Tuesday launched a security operation to remove blockades allegedly created by the banned Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee (JAAC) at key entry and exit points, declaring that all roads would remain open and warning that no attempt to disrupt public life would be tolerated.
Addressing a press conference, AJK Home Secretary Chaudhry Guftar Hussain said the clearance operation would continue until all routes across the region were fully restored.
“The government is committed to protecting the lives and property of citizens, ensuring uninterrupted economic, educational and commercial activities, and restoring complete normalcy throughout the state,” he said.
The home secretary warned that the government would not bow to threats or intimidation.
“The state will not accept blackmail in any form, and those attempting to hold the state hostage will be dealt with firmly under the law,” he added.
Providing details of Tuesday’s violence in Rawalakot, Hussain alleged that armed members of the banned JAAC opened indiscriminate fire to create panic among the public. He said police personnel moved in to stop the firing but came under attack with automatic weapons and explosive devices.
Following the incident, law enforcement agencies launched an operation with the support of Rangers. According to the home secretary, one security official was martyred while another sustained injuries during the exchange of fire.
He said the operation became necessary because the armed group was allegedly equipped with sophisticated weapons and explosives.
Hussain further claimed that banned JAAC leader Khwaja Mehran had once again issued a 48-hour ultimatum to shut down all entry points into Azad Kashmir. However, he maintained that the majority of the population had distanced itself from the organisation and rejected its call to paralyse the region.
He accused the banned outfit of spreading propaganda and attempting to mislead the public, adding that the government would not allow any group to disrupt peace and stability.
According to the home secretary, repeated protests and road closures have caused billions of rupees in economic losses, severely affecting tourism, transport, trade and other commercial activities across the region.
He also announced that the banking system had been fully restored following timely intervention by the authorities.
Meanwhile, AJK Education Secretary said the banned organisation was allegedly attempting to involve women, children and students in protests to use them as human shields. He said all educational institutions had been directed to ensure that students do not participate in violent demonstrations.
The government also announced the reopening of all higher educational institutions, including medical colleges, from Tuesday, expressing hope that normal educational activities would resume without interruption.
Earlier this week, a former core member of the banned JAAC urged the group’s leadership to withdraw its call for a long march and sit-in in Rawalakot, stating that weeks of agitation had caused immense hardship to residents of Poonch district and resulted in multiple casualties.
The latest tensions follow violent clashes on Saturday along the Arja-Rawalakot Road, where at least one person was killed and several others were injured during confrontations between protesters and law enforcement personnel.
The AJK government declared the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee a banned organisation on June 5 after it announced a region-wide strike. Authorities subsequently launched a crackdown, arresting dozens of the group’s leaders and activists from various parts of Azad Kashmir.
