Pakistan, June 7 -- Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) government has officially banned the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The regional Home Department declared it a proscribed organization under the First Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, citing that the group is engaged in terrorism and acting in a manner prejudicial to state peace and security. According to the government notification, the JAAC has been accused of creating anarchy, promoting hatred, intimidating the public, and orchestrating a sense of deep insecurity across society.

The decision to ban the group comes in the wake of its persistent avoidance of institutional dialogue and its refusal to engage with a designated implementation committee. Tensions peaked when the J...