Muzaffarabad | Pak-administered Kashmir — The Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court has admitted a petition challenging the activities of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), with petitioners calling the organization “an unlawful group” whose protests and strikes have increasingly disrupted public life across the region.
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The petition, filed by Sardar Imran Hussain, Sardar Ahsan, and Muneer Riaz through Advocate Sardar Bilal Shakeel, argues that JKJAAC’s repeated calls for shutdowns and demonstrations have deprived ordinary citizens of their fundamental rights and posed a threat to public order.
In particular, the petition cited the sudden lockdown on August 30, 2025, which brought daily life to a standstill, creating severe difficulties for residents and businesses. Petitioners also pointed to JKJAAC’s announcement of another planned lockdown on September 29, 2025, made via social media, describing it as both “illegal and harmful to civic stability.”
The filing further alleges that state institutions have been unable or unwilling to act against the committee, leaving the public exposed to recurring disruptions. “It is now the responsibility of the judiciary to safeguard citizens and restrain such unlawful activities,” the petitioners maintained.
After hearing the preliminary arguments, the High Court has issued notices to 30 respondents, directing them to respond to the allegations. The case is expected to set the stage for a legal debate over the balance between political activism, public safety, and citizens’ rights in Azad Kashmir.
