ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Sunday alleged that the pattern of protests organised by the proscribed Joint Action Committee (JAAC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was similar to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests.
Addressing a press conference, he said that the proscribed JAAC announced the same date for its protest in AJK, which was also fixed by the PTI for its ‘long march’. “The announcement of October 4 for protests by both the banned JAC and PTI was not a coincidence,” Chaudhry said, adding that the protest call given by the JAC has been rejected by the people of Kashmir.
The minister accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of using the worsening law and order situation in the province for political benefits and alleged that the provincial administration had failed to fulfill its constitutional, democratic and legal responsibilities.
Chaudhry claimed that the security agencies have arrested three more members the gang supplying weapons to the JAAC, which was busted last month during an intelligence-based operation. He said that the gang was bringing weapons into Pakistan from a neighbouring country and that the weapons were being used to create unrest in the country.
Chaudhry said that as a result of these operations, one network was busted and a person namely Zia was arrested. Zia, a resident of Kashmir, has been working as a weapons dealer for various individuals for the last eight years.
The state minister added that Zia was in contact with important members of JAAC and had provided multiple consignments of weapons on different occasions to the closest members of the banned group. Zia was arrested in an intelligence-based operation after security forces were targeted in a firing incident at Kashmir Mor.
He said that the investigation revealed Zia was in contact with a person named Majid, who was an associate of Sardar Aman, a member of JAAC.
The minister said that Zia was also in contact with another individual named Zarshad, a resident of Afghanistan. Zarshad provided Zia with weapons through a carrier.
The minister said that another individual named Akbar, an employee of an important institution, was also found connected to this gang and was transporting arms from Bara to Azad Kashmir.
He said that three suspects recently arrested included Waqar Hameed, Muhammad Ali and Aamar Sohail. He also played audio clips of confessional statements of three suspects during the press conference.
Chaudhry said that efforts were made to portray detained suspect Zia as mentally unstable. Sardar Aman contacted several doctors for issuing a medical certificate for Zia in back date to declare him medically unfit or mentally ill, he said.
He said that the JAAC announced a long march despite 37 of their 38 total demands being implemented. The march was declared shortly after the announcement of the election date. The main objective of the long march was to create an environment in which elections could not be held, as well as to promote a narrative that decisions about Kashmir are being made elsewhere, he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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