Authorities in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir have designated the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) as a proscribed organization, following a week of escalating violence and regional lockdowns that have left at least 12 people dead. The move, enacted via a 5 June notification under the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, prohibits the grassroots advocacy group from operating as it prepares for a planned 9 June protest.
### Proscription and Regional Lockdown
The government’s decision to label the JKJAAC a terrorist organization coincided with the announcement of regional elections scheduled for 27 July. To manage the resulting unrest, officials suspended internet and mobile network signals across the region beginning 5 June, with the blackout slated to remain in effect until 12 June.
Authorities also issued an advisory on 5 June directing tourists and visitors to depart the region immediately, citing a security window that extends through 20 June. Reports confirm the deployment of federal paramilitary forces to enforce the restrictions. Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, characterized the proscription as a violation of the right to freedom of association, noting that the government is utilizing “vague grounds” to suppress a grassroots movement.
### Escalating Use of Force
The crackdown has resulted in significant casualties among both protesters and law enforcement. According to police reports, at least eight protesters and four police officers died during clashes on 7 June in Rawalakot. These fatalities occurred as crowds gathered outside the Combined Military Hospital, where the body of activist Shahzeb Habib had been moved for a post-mortem examination.
Habib died following a 5 June encounter with police. Witnesses reported that he was shot while traveling in a vehicle with another JKJAAC member, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, when they were intercepted by officers. Amnesty International has called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances of Habib’s death, as well as the broader violence that left 23 police officers and 50 protesters injured.
### Arrests and Information Control
The government’s campaign has targeted both the leadership and the communication channels of the JKJAAC. Authorities have arrested more than 100 members of the organization since 6 June and raided the group’s central office in Muzaffarabad on 7 June.
Journalists have also faced legal action under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. On 6 June, local reporter Sohrab Barkat was taken into custody for allegedly endorsing the JKJAAC through his YouTube channel. He remains in detention under charges of defamation and spreading false information.
### Origins of the Dispute
The current unrest follows the breakdown of negotiations between the JKJAAC and the government in late May. The committee had demanded the abolition of 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for refugees who settled in the region after 1947. The JKJAAC argues that these seats are an outdated mechanism used by political parties to manipulate the composition of the regional government.
This cycle of violence follows similar confrontations in the region over the last year. In May 2024, three protesters and one police officer were killed during a “Kashmir Long March,” and in October 2025, a separate series of protests resulted in the deaths of six protesters and three police officers.
The regional government has yet to announce a timeline for resuming dialogue with the committee, as the ban on the organization remains in force ahead of the upcoming election cycle.
