Khawaja Asif condemns banned JAAC, rejects 'anti-Pakistan agenda' in AJK

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday criticised the activities of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), saying elements influenced by an external and anti-Pakistan agenda should be dealt with firmly.

In a statement shared on X, Asif said his recent comments on the situation in AJK had been candid and straightforward, but alleged that some people with what he described as hidden and negative motives were intentionally misrepresenting them.

The minister said no one could create a divide between Pakistan and Kashmir or detach Kashmir from Pakistan. He said the sacrifices made by Kashmiris and by Pakistan over several decades were inseparably linked to the country’s stance on the disputed territory.

Asif also referred to the migration of Kashmiris to Pakistan in October 1947, saying their sacrifices remained part of history. He added that people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) had spent the past 78 years resisting Indian occupation through sacrifices, martyrdom and imprisonment.