ISLAMABAD: An intelligence assessment submitted to the government has alleged that the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), which initially emerged as a movement against high electricity tariffs and flour prices in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), gradually transformed into what it describes as a foreign-backed campaign aimed at destabilising Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and undermining state institutions.
The report claims there is “credible evidence” that external actors, including hostile intelligence agencies, exploited the movement by providing financial, propaganda and organisational support through overseas networks, particularly in the United Kingdom and Europe.
According to the assessment, JK-JAAC’s agitation evolved from socio-economic demands into a political campaign challenging constitutional arrangements in AJK, including calls to abolish the 12 refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly and demands by some leaders to remove the oath of accession to Pakistan from the electoral framework.
The report says the refugee seats were created to preserve the political representation of refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) and argues that while constitutional reforms can be debated through political forums, threats to disrupt elections and reject constitutional provisions amount to political coercion.
Violent protests
The report traces the movement’s evolution through two major protest campaigns.
It says the May 2024 long march forced the government to announce relief measures on flour and electricity prices but ended in violence that claimed the lives of one law enforcement official and three civilians.
A second long march from September 29 to October 4, 2025, resulted in the deaths of seven civilians and three law enforcement personnel before a federally brokered agreement was reached on October 4, 2025. The report says many provisions of that agreement have either been implemented or are under implementation.
However, it alleges JK-JAAC subsequently shifted its demands instead of honouring the agreement. The report also refers to the latest unrest preceding the June 9 protest call, saying the AJK government’s decision to outlaw JK-JAAC under anti-terrorism laws followed violent clashes in which four law enforcement personnel were killed and 32 others injured.
Security agencies further claim that protesters used sticks, stones and firearms while taking advantage of AJK’s mountainous terrain and allege that some individuals with militant backgrounds and armed associates were present at protest sites.
Overseas campaign
A significant portion of the report focuses on what it describes as an extensive overseas campaign supporting JK-JAAC. According to the assessment, demonstrations were organised outside Pakistani diplomatic missions in London, other UK cities, Geneva and outside the European Parliament to internationalise the issue.
It alleges that Kashmiri nationalist groups, pro-PTI activists, social media influencers and pro-India platforms collectively amplified JK-JAAC’s narrative through coordinated online campaigns. The report claims WhatsApp groups were used to circulate contact details of correspondents from international media organisations, including Al Jazeera, Sky News, Reuters, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Fox News and DW News, to increase international coverage of the protests.
It further alleges that synchronised social media campaigns using coordinated hashtags and messaging sought to portray AJK as a human rights crisis while remaining silent on alleged Indian repression in IIOJ&K. The report specifically names the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) as one of JK-JAAC’s most active overseas supporters.
It says UKPNP has long campaigned internationally against Pakistan’s administration of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan and used the recent agitation to intensify lobbying efforts. The report cites the participation of JK-JAAC Core Committee member in a UKPNP-sponsored protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in London on September 29, 2025, as evidence of what it calls growing convergence between the two organisations.
The intelligence assessment alleges that JK-JAAC received substantial financial assistance from hostile intelligence agencies through sympathisers within the UK and European Kashmiri diaspora.
According to the report, businessmen linked to the real estate, travel and money exchange sectors allegedly contributed funds, while a significant portion of financial transfers was reportedly routed through informal hundi and hawala channels.
It also alleges that relatives of some JK-JAAC leaders living in the UK helped channel funds to activists inside AJK.
The report links these alleged overseas networks to broader security concerns, claiming that hostile intelligence agencies have previously used similar support structures for espionage, surveillance, target identification, financial facilitation and targeted killings inside Pakistan.
It warns that local networks capable of mobilising street protests, collecting intelligence and spreading propaganda could be exploited for hostile operations.
The report also alleges there is evidence that arms and hardened criminals infiltrated JK-JAAC protests with the facilitation of hostile intelligence agencies.
Despite its security concerns, the report acknowledges that many ordinary citizens initially joined JK-JAAC to protest genuine economic hardships rather than support its later political agenda.
It says several core committee members publicly distanced themselves from the organization after disagreeing with what they described as its changing direction following speeches at the Rawalakot sit-in that challenged constitutional arrangements and criticised state institutions.
The report concludes that while the government should continue addressing legitimate public grievances through dialogue, it argues that violence, foreign-funded agitation, anti-state propaganda and suspected collaboration with hostile networks cannot be accepted as democratic protest.
It recommends simultaneously implementing public welfare commitments, isolating violent and foreign-backed elements and exposing what it describes as external efforts to exploit AJK’s internal political debate to weaken Pakistan’s position on Kashmir.
