AJK police claim JAAC 'abducted' 8 highway police personnel on election duty

The Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) police reported on Thursday that eight highway police personnel, who were on duty for the election, had been abducted by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). Khawar Ali Shaukat, a police spokesperson, addressed a televised press conference, alleging that the JAAC had attacked security forces deployed on election duty in the region.

The officials are currently in JAAC custody and have reportedly suffered brutal abuse. The police further claimed that the abductors had threatened the families of the personnel with martyrdom if their demands were not met. Shaukat emphasized that the JAAC is a violent organization that challenges the state's authority and weakens institutions.

He affirmed that the state has always demonstrated restraint and vowed strict action against any group that challenges the state's writ. The JAAC, which has been demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for refugees from Indian-held Kashmir, has been staging protests in the region for several weeks. Clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel occurred in Rawalakot and Mirpur on July 28, resulting in several casualties.

The AJK government has accused militant elements, allegedly backed by Indian funding, of fueling the unrest. Last week, the AJK Information Secretary, Muhammad Rashid Hanif, confirmed that seven law enforcement personnel, including those from the police and Rangers, had been martyred during recent unrest in the region.