Key facts
- Officials in Pakistan administered Kashmir accused the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) of attempting to sabotage regional elections.
- Clashes between protesters and security forces resulted in the death of one paramilitary officer and injuries to several others.
- Authorities allege that militants from the Pakistani Taliban have infiltrated the ongoing protests.
- The JAAC demands greater political rights for Kashmiris and the abolition of refugee seats in the assembly.
- Security forces reported that armed individuals used weapons including Kalashnikov assault rifles and snipers.
Officials in Pakistan administered Kashmir accused an outlawed political group, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), of attempting to sabotage the region's constitutional assembly elections. The accusations followed clashes between armed protesters and security forces that resulted in the death of one paramilitary officer and injuries to several others.
Government spokesman Mohammad Rashid Hanif alleged that the JAAC sought to derail the elections and that members of the Pakistani Taliban, referred to by Islamabad as Fitna al-Khawarij, were among the protesters. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry echoed these sentiments, stating that the ongoing sit-in was no longer peaceful and that authorities would soon take action to restore order.
The JAAC, formed in 2023, advocates for greater political rights for Kashmiris and the abolition of refugee seats in the assembly. The group's activities escalated after the region's Supreme Court ruled that refugee seats are constitutionally protected. Regional deputy Police Chief Irfan Masood Kashfi reported that armed individuals involved in the unrest were carrying weapons such as Kalashnikov assault rifles and that snipers were allegedly being used. Authorities also presented video footage of masked gunmen and detained individuals who appeared to confess to participating in violence against security forces.