Islamabad Approves Deployment of 2,000 Police Officers to Kashmir Amid Strike and Protest Threats

MUZAFFARABAD — Pakistan-administered Kashmir: The Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has requested urgent security support from Islamabad as the territory braces for major protests on 29 September. In a controversial move, the Federal Government has approved the deployment of 2,000 officers and personnel from Islamabad Police to maintain law and order in the region.

The decision comes at a time when the AJK Police are themselves on strike, leaving the local administration unable to guarantee security during demonstrations called by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC).

Officials confirmed that the deployment will cover senior command staff, operational officers, and female constables, with the force instructed to intervene if the local police refuse to take action or if demonstrations spiral out of control.

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Under directives issued by Islamabad’s Inspector General of Police, a large-scale deployment plan is being finalized to reinforce security across the capital. The contingent, comprising nearly 2,000 personnel, will include one Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), four Superintendents of Police (SPs), eight Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), six Inspectors, 88 Sub-Inspectors and Assistant Sub-Inspectors, 1,718 head constables and constables, 132 lady constables, and 33 support staff.

According to officials, the force will be drawn from various divisions of Islamabad Police, including 636 personnel from the Operations Division, 480 from the Security Division, 80 from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), 90 from Traffic Police, 161 from the Logistics Division, 238 from Law and Order, 251 from the CPC Division, 38 from the Special Branch, and 26 from the Safe City Project. Authorities confirmed that the combined force will be dispatched in phases, with all divisions directed to finalize their deployment lists without delay.

JKJAAC: “This Is an Attack on Kashmir”

The move has been condemned by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), which has organized strikes and demonstrations in Azad Kashmir over economic and political grievances.

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In a statement posted on social media, Sardar Umar Nazir, a JKJAAC core committee leader, accused Pakistan of preparing to “attack the peaceful and unarmed people of Kashmir” by sending external police forces.

He wrote:

“Kashmiris are a hospitable nation. In 1955, we welcomed guests from Punjab with generosity. Today, we will revive the struggle and resistance of our forefathers.”

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He added:

“The proud people of Jammu and Kashmir will consider the arrival of Pakistani forces as an external attack on Kashmir, aimed at crushing their peaceful struggle for basic rights. Overseas Kashmiris must protest diplomatically across the world against this aggression and oppression.”

The JKJAAC had previously warned that if external security forces were brought in to suppress protests, it would be treated as an act of aggression against the Kashmiri people.

The AJK government argues that the deployment is a preventive measure. With police on strike and a large-scale protest imminent, officials feared a complete breakdown in law and order.

September 29 has been marked by JKJAAC as a day of shutdown, with the group calling for protests across the territory. The demonstrations are expected to draw significant participation amid widespread public frustration over rising costs, unemployment, and demands for political reforms.

Analysts warn that while the deployment may help stabilize the situation in the immediate term, it also risks deepening the ongoing political crisis in the longer run. For the government, the additional police presence is viewed as essential for maintaining order and preventing the outbreak of violence. Yet for the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), the move bolsters their argument that Islamabad is more intent on suppressing Kashmiri dissent than addressing genuine grievances.

Among the public, concerns are growing that the heavy police presence could trigger direct confrontation between demonstrators and federal forces — a scenario that could quickly escalate into violence. The international dimension adds further complexity: with Kashmiri diaspora communities active across Europe, the Middle East, and North America, JKJAAC’s appeal for overseas protests has the potential to place Pakistan under heightened diplomatic scrutiny.