AJK govt revokes legal protections for protesters following unrest

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has revoked a series of legal protections and amnesty measures previously granted to Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) protesters, moving to restore all 177 criminal cases following recent deadly clashes with law enforcement agencies.

According to an official notification issued by the AJK Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Department, the cabinet has withdrawn four executive orders that had protected members of JKJAAC from prosecution.

The decision follows an executive decision taken by the AJK government on June 5, which declared the JKJAAC a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws, accusing the group of instigating anarchy and acting in a manner prejudicial to state security.

Recent clashes in Rawalakot between law enforcement and protesters resulted in the deaths of at least seven civilians and four security personnel.

Government sources stated that the removal of these protections was triggered by the JKJAAC’s violation of a peace accord signed on October 4, 2025.

 Under that initial agreement, the AJK  government had agreed to address the group’s economic and civil grievances in exchange for a transition to institutional dialogue through a designated implementation committee.

The AJK government had previously honoured the accord by dropping 177 First Information Reports (FIRs) against protesters, releasing detainees, and paying financial compensation to affected families.

“Bypassing the implementation committee to orchestrate street pressure, roadblocks, and public chaos directly violates the agreement,” a senior administration official told HUM News English. “Consequently, the previous legal relief has been rescinded under the same framework.”

Sources said that the AJK Police Inspector General and regional criminal courts have been instructed to re-open all outstanding agitation-related cases immediately.

What was in the Withdrawn Notifications?

The four notifications represented major legal and structural concessions issued by the AJK government to placate the JKJAAC between late 2024 and late 2025. Their withdrawal has now effectively reversed those amnesties.

Notification No LD/Litigation/763-83/2024, dated Dec 7, 2024, rescinded a contentious public order ordinance that had been designed to restrict unregistered organisations from staging public protests. The order was withdrawn in late 2024 as a goodwill gesture to initiate talks with the JKJAAC.

Notification No. LD/Litigation/25/227/2025, dated Dec 15, 2025, issued following the October 2025 peace accord, established a formal legal mechanism to halt prosecutions and withdraw criminal cases filed against protest leaders during regional shutdowns.

Notification No. LD/Litigation/25/227-A/2025, dated Dec 26, 2025, authorised the operational release of jailed civil rights activists and protesters who had been detained during clashes with security forces.

Notification No. LD/Litigation/25/I-227-A/2025, dated Dec 31, 2025, formed the final component of the amnesty package, reinstating government employees who had been suspended or terminated for participating in or supporting the JKJAAC’s public strikes.

By canceling these specific decrees, the state has effectively reactivated the older legal charges against the workers of the now-banned organisation.