Key facts
- Shaukat Nawaz Mir, leader of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), was arrested in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
- Mir faces sedition charges for allegedly inciting violence during protests that resulted in multiple deaths.
- The JAAC is protesting the existence of 12 legislative seats reserved for refugees from Indian-controlled Kashmir.
- The Supreme Court has ruled these seats are constitutionally protected.
- The arrest comes ahead of scheduled elections next month.
Police in Pakistan-administered Kashmir arrested Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the leader of the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), on Tuesday. The group has been leading weeks of protests concerning legislative seats reserved for refugees who migrated from Indian-controlled Kashmir decades ago.
Mir faces sedition charges for allegedly inciting violence during protests earlier this month that resulted in the deaths of at least four security officers and three civilians. The arrest followed an announcement of a 10 million rupee reward for information leading to Mir and three other wanted members.
The JAAC is demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the regional Legislative Assembly, arguing they grant disproportionate political influence to individuals living outside the territory. The dispute intensified after the Supreme Court of Pakistan-administered Kashmir ruled that these seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment.
The regional government banned the JAAC, citing threats to public order, and detained dozens of its supporters. The issue has become a significant political flashpoint ahead of elections scheduled for next month.