MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police chief Liaquat Malik declared on Monday that the state’s authority will be upheld at any cost, responding to allegations that protesters have incited unrest, assaulted security personnel, and disturbed public peace.
Speaking at a press briefing alongside AJK Chief Secretary Khushal Khan, Malik revealed that a sub-inspector from Islamabad police was intercepted and subjected to brutal violence, resulting in broken legs. He emphasized that youth were being provoked against the state, with calls reportedly made to attack legislative assemblies.
Malik highlighted that protesters had raised slogans against soldiers defending the nation’s freedom and made disrespectful remarks about martyrs. He further accused some demonstrators of using women and children as human shields, forcibly closing markets, and noted that several arrests and cases had been registered against them.
The police chief condemned attacks on state institutions, including the kidnapping of government employees, violence in hospitals, and the desecration of bodies, stating these actions could not be justified as public grievances. He also criticized the burning of the Pakistani flag outside the Indian embassy, labeling it an illegitimate political act driven by a small group of troublemakers.
Meanwhile, AJK Chief Secretary Khushal Khan pointed out that despite addressing legitimate demands, protests persisted. He stressed that maintaining law and order remained the government’s highest priority in the region.
Khan detailed that the federal government had allocated between Rs20 billion and Rs25 billion for administrative and development purposes in AJK, with the total federal budget contribution reaching approximately Rs350 billion. He noted that many actionable demands had been fulfilled, yet the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee continued to fuel unrest.
He explained that the group initially attracted public support over issues like wheat and electricity prices but later disrupted peace and order. Khan added that protesters had been offered constitutional and legal avenues for resolution but instead issued threats to march on institutions and rejected dialogue in favor of unilateral demands.
He also mentioned incidents where supply trucks were stopped and drivers assaulted, and that residents of Rawalakot had distanced themselves from the protest leaders by contacting authorities. Khan urged protesters to surrender to law enforcement, reaffirming the government’s willingness to engage in dialogue within the constitutional framework.
