The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has annulled several legal protections and amnesty measures previously granted to protesters affiliated with the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC). This move reinstates all 177 criminal cases against the group following recent violent confrontations with law enforcement agencies.
An official notification from the AJK Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs, and Human Rights Department confirmed that the cabinet has withdrawn four executive orders that had shielded JKJAAC members from prosecution. This decision comes after the government declared JKJAAC a banned organization under anti-terrorism laws on June 5, accusing it of inciting disorder and threatening state security.
In a significant development, clashes in Rawalakot between security forces and protesters resulted in the deaths of seven civilians and four security personnel. The government cited the JKJAAC’s breach of a peace agreement signed on October 4, 2025, as the primary reason for revoking these protections.
Under the original accord, the AJK government had committed to addressing the economic and civil grievances of the JKJAAC in exchange for transitioning to institutional dialogue through a designated implementation committee. As part of this agreement, 177 First Information Reports (FIRs) against protesters were dropped, detainees were released, and financial compensation was provided to affected families.
However, the JKJAAC’s decision to bypass the implementation committee and resort to street protests, roadblocks, and public disturbances was deemed a direct violation of the accord. Consequently, the government rescinded the earlier legal relief measures within the same framework.
Authorities have instructed the AJK Police Inspector General and regional criminal courts to immediately reopen all pending cases related to the protests.
The four revoked notifications had represented significant legal and structural concessions made by the AJK government between late 2024 and late 2025 to appease the JKJAAC. Their cancellation effectively reverses these amnesties.
Notification No LD/Litigation/763-83/2024, dated December 7, 2024, had withdrawn a controversial public order ordinance that restricted unregistered organizations from holding protests, as a goodwill gesture to initiate talks with JKJAAC.
Notification No. LD/Litigation/25/227/2025, dated December 15, 2025, issued after the October peace accord, established a legal mechanism to halt prosecutions and withdraw criminal cases against protest leaders during regional shutdowns.
Notification No. LD/Litigation/25/227-A/2025, dated December 26, 2025, authorized the release of jailed civil rights activists and protesters detained during clashes with security forces.
Finally, Notification No. LD/Litigation/25/I-227-A/2025, dated December 31, 2025, reinstated government employees who had been suspended or dismissed for participating in or supporting JKJAAC strikes.
By annulling these decrees, the government has effectively reactivated the older legal charges against members of the now-proscribed organization.
