The Pakistan-occupied Kashmir administration has announced a reward of 1 crore Pakistani rupees for information leading to the arrest of four leaders of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil society alliance that was banned last week and has been at the centre of the protests in the region.
The four individuals are Shoukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Khawaja Mehran Arshad, and Sardar Aman Khan.
“The President, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has been pleased to fix a reward of Rs 10 million to be granted to any person who provides information leading to the successful arrest of the following offenders belonging to the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC),” the notification read. It also stated that the identities of informants would be kept confidential.
This came after Pakistan launched a brutal crackdown on protesters in PoK, leading to the death of over 100 demonstrators and leaving at least 400 injured. Hundreds more have been arrested.
Also read: Protests, Poverty And Power: The Story Of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir
The JAAC is a prominent civil society alliance in PoK that had called for demonstrations against the reservation of 12 out of 45 assembly seats for refugees ahead of the 27 July legislative elections. The clashes began a day before a planned protest gathering.
Beyond the seat reservation issue, protesters had also raised concerns about earlier incidents of violence, internet blackouts, electricity shortages, inflation, unemployment, alleged resource exploitation and political marginalisation.
The JAAC was formally banned by authorities last week on grounds of public order and security. Members of the group have called their designation as a “terror” organisation an act of oppression.
India Condemns The Crackdown
India on Tuesday strongly condemned Pakistan’s actions against protesters in PoK. New Delhi also called on the international community to hold Pakistan responsible. “We hope the international community will hold Pakistan accountable for its misdeeds and abuses,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also expressed serious concerns about the so-called regional government’s decision to proscribe the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) under anti-terrorism legislation.
In a statement on Monday, the HRCP strongly condemned the use of excessive force and the deaths of civilians and law enforcers alike, as well as communication blackouts.
“While dialogue is essential, it cannot be meaningful amid the continued political disenfranchisement of the region’s people. The right to peaceful protest must be upheld, and grievances addressed transparently,” it said.
