MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Home Department has declared the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee a proscribed organisation under the AJK Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014.
According to an official notification, organisations operating under the names Jammu Kashmir Action Committee, Joint Awami Action Committee and Awami Action Committee have been placed on the First Schedule of the law after approval by the AJK president.
The government said there was reasonable evidence that the organisation had been involved in activities detrimental to peace and security, creating unrest, promoting hatred and causing fear and insecurity among the public. It said the group had been proscribed under Section 12 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The notification stated that legal action would be taken against the banned organisation in accordance with the law.
Copies of the notification have been sent to federal and AJK authorities, including ministers, law-enforcement agencies, divisional administrations and police officials in Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Mirpur divisions.
The AJK government said it would ensure peace, public safety and the rule of law, and would not allow any organisation to threaten public order or state security.
Earlier, the AJK Election Commission on Friday announced that general election for 45 direct seats of the AJK Legislative Assembly will be held on July 27, 2026, with polling scheduled from 8am to 5pm without interruption.
The announcement was made at a press conference by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, flanked by Election Commission Member Syed Nazir-ul-Hassan Gilani and Secretary Raja Muhammad Shakil Khan.
To ensure a free, fair and transparent electoral process, the Pakistan Army, Rangers, police and other paramilitary forces will be deployed across the region. The chief election commissioner also imposed an immediate ban on appointments, transfers and new development projects, clarifying that ongoing schemes already included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) will remain unaffected.
According to an official notification issued by the Election Commission Secretariat in Muzaffarabad, nomination papers can be submitted to respective Returning Officers from June 9 to June 19, 2026. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on June 20, with the list of valid nominations to be published the same day.
Appeals against rejection of nomination papers may be filed between June 21 and June 24. Hearings will be conducted on June 26 and 27, while final decisions will be announced between June 28 and June 29. Candidates may withdraw their nomination papers by June 30.
The revised list of contesting candidates will be issued on July 1, and election symbols will be allotted on July 2. The final list of candidates along with their symbols will also be published the same day.
Justice Mughal stressed that accurate voter lists form the foundation of credible elections, stating that the Election Commission has completed the final voter list in accordance with constitutional requirements. He acknowledged the cooperation of Nadra and local administration in rectifying initial technical errors in the voter database and also thanked the media for its support in promoting transparent elections. The notification announcing the election schedule has come into immediate effect, the commission said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Friday that demands to abolish the 12 seats in the Kashmir Assembly reserved for Kashmiri voters residing in Pakistan were tantamount to undermining and disrupting the electoral process.
This demand, made ahead of the upcoming elections, is tantamount to sabotaging the electoral process, the defence minister wrote on his social media platform X.
Democratic principles require that those making this demand present it to the public on July 27 and allow the people to decide and shape their own representation.
Only then can it be considered democratic; otherwise, it will be seen as blackmail. He said in Sialkot city and tehsil, there is one seat in the Azad Kashmir Assembly and two seats in the Pakistan National Assembly.
The remaining Kashmir Assembly constituencies are spread across Pakistan. In Sialkot, the majority of Kashmiri migrants are from Jammu, he said.
He said in October 1947, these migrants settled in Sialkot city and tehsil after sacrificing over 200,000 lives. How can these migrants be deprived of their rightful representation, he questioned? For decades, these migrants have lived in extreme poverty, deprived of basic necessities of life. They have paid a very high price for freedom. Those seeking to have their opinions recognised should follow democratic means, he added.
Separately, the 41st meeting of the AJK cabinet was held on Friday with Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore in the chair. The meeting was attended by cabinet members, chief secretary, IGP and secretaries of various departments. The chief secretary briefed the cabinet on the implementation of agreement signed with the AJK Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), strike call given by JAAC while the IGP presented a detailed report on the overall law and order situation in the region.
The cabinet ratified the decisions of its last meeting and reviewed progress on their implementation. In view of the prevailing situation in the Middle East, the cabinet approved the extension of austerity measures until June 13.
Regarding regularisation of ad hoc, temporary and contract employees serving against regular budgeted posts, the meeting decided to introduce legislation in the state legislature.
Moreover, the cabinet approved the regularisation of 878 Grade-I Beldars on permanent basis and upgradation of District Food Controller (DFC) posts to Grade-17 with effect from July 1. Amendments were also approved to the Schools Education Package, including readjustment of posts, upgradation of educational institutions and changes in staffing patterns in certain schools.
The cabinet approved the transfer of powers of the Chairman Environmental Tribunal and Chairman Appellate Tribunal MDA to District and Sessions Judges.
It also approved the Easy Business Act and endorsed the National Small and Medium Enterprise Policy to facilitate business growth and encourage entrepreneurship.
To improve public services, the cabinet approved the Azad Kashmir Drinking Water Policy 2026, to be prepared in collaboration with UNICEF and Federal Ministry of Climate Change.
The cabinet approved amendments to the Criminal Law Act 2024 aimed at strengthening measures against cybercrime, as well as the Agriculture Pesticides Act to curb the use of substandard pesticides and agricultural chemicals.
To support the development of these key sectors, a comprehensive five-year Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Roadmap (2026-2031) was also approved.
The meeting further approved the withdrawal of the previous amendment relating to the appointment of the President of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bank and decided to continue with the existing appointment procedure.
Also, the federal government has decided to dispatch a contingent of 1,505 Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police personnel to AJK to assist the regional administration in maintaining law and order ahead of planned opposition protests.
According to the Capital police sources and an official notification, the deployment comes in direct response to a formal assistance request made by the AJK government to counter potential security threats and ensure public safety during demonstrations.
