Amnesty urges Pakistan-administered Kashmir to free activists and end crackdown

Amnesty International has called on Pakistan-administered Kashmir's new government to release detained activists and lift a ban on the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), according to a letter sent to Prime Minister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani. The rights group expressed concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the region, following months of protests against the rising cost of living.

JAAC, a grassroots people's movement comprising traders, lawyers, students, civil society activists, and local political figures, has been campaigning against high electricity bills, rising flour prices, heavy taxation, and poor public services. Founded in 2023, JAAC's activities led to violent protests and a harsh government crackdown, during which hundreds of activists, protesters, and journalists have been arbitrarily detained under anti-terrorism laws.

The ban on JAAC, proscribed under the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act of 2014, infringes on the fundamental rights to association, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly. The unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir has also posed a significant challenge for Gilani's administration, which took office in August amid political unrest and calls for improved governance.

International organizations, including the United Nations, have expressed concern over restrictions on civil liberties and the use of anti-terrorism legislation against activists in the region.