The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Monday accused the banned Awami Action Committee of disrupting peace, damaging the economy, and using students, women, and children in protest activities, it was reported on Tuesday.
Addressing a joint press conference, the AJK Home Secretary and Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education said the banned organisation had spent the past 38 days disrupting normal life under the guise of a rights movement.
They alleged that the group’s activities included intimidation, forced market closures, propaganda, and attempts to promote an anti-Pakistan narrative while targeting the Pakistan Armed Forces.
The Home Secretary claimed that the organisation had deliberately tried to strain the historic relationship between Pakistan and Kashmir by forcing traders to shut businesses and creating hardship for residents.
He further alleged that students, women, and children were being used as human shields and drawn into protest activities instead of attending educational institutions.
According to the officials, most parts of AJK have returned to normal, with government offices, private institutions, and educational establishments resuming operations.
Medical colleges and other educational institutions in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, and several other districts have also reopened. At the same time, board examination summer camps began on July 13 in most areas, including Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Leepa, and Kel.
The Home Secretary said the head of the banned committee, Khawaja Mehran, had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to block entry points into AJK, describing the move as an attempt to create instability.
He claimed that previous similar calls had failed and that the majority of AJK residents had rejected the group’s agenda.
Providing details of the security situation, the Home Secretary alleged that armed men opened indiscriminate fire on civilians at the Matiyal Mehra Bus Terminal in Rawalakot early in the morning.
He said police personnel came under attack with automatic weapons and improvised explosives when they attempted to stop the firing, prompting law enforcement agencies to launch an operation against the armed groups.
Rangers have also been deployed to assist police in Rawalakot.
He said one security official was martyred and another injured during the exchange of fire, while one alleged armed attacker was also killed.
Clearance operations are continuing on major highways, including the Kotli-Tarar Khal Road, to restore traffic and ensure the uninterrupted supply of essential goods.
The Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education alleged that, after losing public support, the banned committee had adopted a strategy of bringing women and schoolchildren to protest sites, calling it a serious threat to their safety.
