An open letter to UN on JAAC

The international community must recognize that the current situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is being grossly misrepresented by a small group of violent protesters spreading a dangerous fabrication. The fundamental question facing AJK is whether it chooses democracy or dictatorship; democracy must be achieved through the established electoral system and the ballot box, not through mob rule, as a mob does not accurately reflect the majority sentiment and often includes coerced or misled individuals. The banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) falsely claims to follow democratic principles but consistently avoids electoral processes, relying solely on mob pressure to push their agenda. The government has demonstrated immense goodwill by fulfilling thirty-five out of thirty-eight demands, including major concessions like subsidized electricity and flour, despite some analysts advising Pakistan to withdraw such support. The sole remaining demand—concerning twelve reserved seats for refugees of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)—is purely a constitutional issue that cannot be decided on the streets, yet the banned JAAC has politicized it and refuses to show flexibility, preferring to escalate tensions through coercion. 

Financially, the JAAC's claims are baseless, as AJK collects only about sixty-five billion rupees in revenue while its expenses are roughly three hundred and fifty billion rupees, with Pakistan covering the entire deficit—making it illogical to claim that the twelve reserved seats are "eating the people's money." Geographically, the river Jehlum originates in IIOJK and merely flows through AJK, yet the JAAC wants to benefit from its cheap electricity while denying representation to refugees from that same region, exposing a clear double standard. Furthermore, the JAAC has falsely promoted the timber stick as AJK's traditional culture, which is a lie, and their protest starting June 9 was explicitly aimed at a long march to attack Muzaffarabad with arms and overthrow the government, which was wisely halted at Rawalakot to prevent catastrophic loss of life. Regarding their intent to petition the UN for alleged human rights violations, it must be clearly stated that the twelve reserved seats are a constitutional matter affecting only a specific group, not a general public issue or a human rights violation; the actual human rights violations are being committed by the banned JAAC itself through its violent and authoritarian tactics. 

Few elements and experts have started saying that if still such pressure groups insist on canceling the twelve reserved seats, then the best solution would be to make AJK a full-fledged province of Pakistan. By doing so, all such reserved seats would automatically cancel, and the issue would be resolved permanently. Also, such experts say that as a province, AJK will have more representation even in Pakistan's national assembly and will avail more shares and benefits by the National Finance Commission awards and funds allocations, which would be a huge economic benefit for the people. The banned JAAC, however, is not going into the constitutional, legal, and democratic process for such sensitive issues and has chosen violence over healthy processes. The violent and repeated protests by the banned JAAC have snatched the food and earning from the poor laborers, the hardworking shopkeepers, and the small businessmen. They have obstructed the normal lives of the people of AJK, including students who cannot go to their schools, tourists who bring economic activity, and patients who are unable to reach hospitals for urgent medical treatment. Its violent activities have completely seized the tourism and business activities in AJK, creating a severe economic crisis. Today, the people of AJK don't have internet access, and all their daily activities are seized just because of the banned JAAC. These are the actual human rights violations which are being committed by the banned JAAC, not the other way around. The prices of food and grocery items in AJK are now quite higher as compared to even nearby towns and cities of Pakistan, just because of the criminal silence of the banned JAAC on purely people's issues. They are not fighting for the common man; they are fighting for their own political agenda. 

The actions of the banned JAAC are making India and its media much happy, which shows the clear dirty intentions of this group. India is celebrating the chaos in AJK, which is a clear sign of where their allegiances lie. By knowing the real face of the banned JAAC, the people of AJK are showing isolation from it. The common people want to open their shops, they want to run their transport, and they want to come back to their normal routine, but the violent tactics and threats of the banned JAAC are stopping them. Pakistan supports AJK in every matter and gives it full aid in all matters, including defense and development. AJK does not produce anything of its own; everything comes from Pakistan. If Pakistan stops its supplies to AJK, then AJK cannot survive even for a single day. This is a reality. AJK is nothing without Pakistan, and the people of AJK know this reality deeply in their hearts, and they love Pakistan. Thousands of Pakistani soldiers and officers have fought for the cause of Kashmir and have given their precious lives for Kashmir, and these sacrifices are part of the records of our history. Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochis, Pathans, and soldiers and officers from all over Pakistan have given blood for Kashmir. Instead of acknowledging these immense sacrifices, a so-called leader of the banned JAAC has said that dead bodies come from Balochistan, but dead bodies will not come from Kashmir. This is a direct and disgusting insult to the martyrs. Then some so-called leaders of the banned JAAC have also recently said openly in their speeches that the Kashmiris serving in the Pak Army should come out and should fight against Pakistan and the Pak Army. These actions are the worst form of betrayal, which shows that the banned JAAC has now converted into a traitorous organization. People and analysts say that such a group of militants should be answered in the same language which they deserve. The whole of Kashmir loves Pakistan and the Pak Army, and a small group of militants cannot break this unbreakable bond of love. 

The banned JAAC is treating both India and Pakistan with the same scale, which is completely unfair and unjust. The great and positive role of Pakistan for AJK and the atrocities of India in IIOJK are in front of the whole world. The ultimate destiny for Kashmiris is Pakistan, and they reject all those elements who want to make divisions between Pakistan and AJK. The banned JAAC is making a hole in the same plate in which it is eating, biting the hand that feeds it. The banned JAAC is sowing the seeds of division and hate into the minds of Kashmiris for Pakistan. People and analysts say that in the current financial crisis, it is extremely difficult for a person to move from one city to another as it costs too much, but the banned JAAC is mobilizing groups of people in AJK without any apparent financial issues. For people and experts, this clearly shows that they are getting foreign funding from our enemies and using this money to sabotage the peace of AJK. The actions of the banned JAAC have now converted into armed violence and open betrayal against the State and its institutions. Spreading hate, division, and negativity among the society is not the welfare of the society and is not a matter of human rights; it is a matter of national security and survival. It should also be noted that the situation in AJK is quite different from that of IIOJK. IIOJK is facing worse atrocities and human rights violations from the Indian government, while in AJK, the banned JAAC has created this artificial situation and is involved in human rights violations and betrayal just because of its unlawful and unrealistic demands. 

The role of the State in the case of AJK has been remarkable, and it has shown remarkable patience and restraint in dealing with this group. The heinous actions of the banned JAAC are far away from people's rights. In simple words, the actions like burning Pakistani flags, chanting slogans against Pakistan and the Pak Army, asking Kashmiris serving in the Pak Army to do insurgency and fight against Pakistan, attacking civilian and government assets, attacking hospitals, cross-firing on law enforcement agencies, threats of throwing the law enforcement agencies and Pak Army personnel into the Mangla Dam, threats of a mob attack on Muzaffarabad and Islamabad, and many other such acts are not people's rights. In simple words, these heinous actions are the worst form of terrorism, and such actions are strictly treated even anywhere in the world. The people of AJK are demanding the government to revive the State's writ and want to get rid of such violent protests which are badly violating human rights, destroying the historical and exemplary peace of AJK, and destroying the business and routine activities of the region. The internet is closed in AJK, and it is just because of the banned JAAC and their false propaganda against the State and its institutions. The banned JAAC has pushed AJK into ancient and stone times, halting all progress. The leaders and members of the banned JAAC sitting in a sit-in in Rawalakot are posing a great threat to the State and its writ. They are chanting and delivering speeches openly against the State, Pakistan, and the Pak Army. They are targeting law enforcement agencies and, in a desperate act, using children and women as human shields. According to security sources, they also have weapons. Just for the sake of legal and constitutional matters, they have disturbed and hijacked the entire state. The so-called movement which was started on the name of people's rights has now converted into an insurgency and armed movement against the State and its machinery. Also, drawing a resemblance of the Rawalakot sit-in with the tragedy of Karbala from a few elements is also wrong and does not match with the true spirit of Karbala. Here in the Rawalakot sit-in case, according to the teachings of Islam and civilized norms, it is very clear that the State is right and the protestors are wrong. The State has shown utmost tolerance and patience, but now people say that if the government decides to treat such riots strictly, then such a decision will be warmly welcomed by the people of AJK as it will be aimed to ensure peace in the state and restore the human rights and the writ of the state. The mature people of AJK are showing isolation from the banned JAAC because of its violent and anti-state actions. The people of AJK demand the government to get rid of the lives of the people from the dirty actions of the banned JAAC. The people of AJK also demand the UN and the world to take serious notice of the human rights violations of the banned JAAC in AJK and appeals to the UN and the world to label the banned JAAC as an internationally banned terrorist group. This is the only way to ensure peace and stability in the region.