Police book JAAC leader for sedition

MUZAFFARABAD:

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has registered a case under Section 124-A of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Penal Code (APC) against Khawaja Mehran Arshad, a key ringleader of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (Jaac), following a highly provocative speech targeting the country's security architecture.

The AJK police lodged the First Information Report (FIR) at the Civil Secretariat Police Station in Muzaffarabad after intelligence and local monitoring units verified the contents of Arshad's address delivered on June 14, 2026, at Dreck, Rawalakot.

According to official sources, Arshad, originally hailing from Dudial in District Mirpur, openly incited Kashmiri personnel serving within the Armed Forces of Pakistan to revolt against their institution.

Addressing uniformed personnel, Arshad reportedly stated: "I am addressing those who are serving in the Pakistan Army and are shedding blood for the defence of Pakistan. I am asking them not to wait any more; commit mutiny and fall back to your country."

Senior officials said the speech marks a dangerous departure from the civic and economic narrative Jaac originally claimed to represent.

"The state displayed maximum tolerance when the group raised domestic economic demands, but actively inciting mutiny within the military crosses the ultimate constitutional red line," an official stated. "This is no longer dissent; it is an overt act of rebellion against the state's security apparatus."

Legal experts said APC Section 124-A deals with sedition and anti-state activities aimed at inciting hatred, contempt, or rebellion against the state and its institutions.

The development comes just weeks after the AJK Home Department proscribed Jaac under the Anti-Terrorism Act following a string of violent confrontations, attacks on law enforcement, and disruptive blockades across the region.

Security analysts said the timing and nature of Arshad's remarks point to a deeper and more malicious agenda allegedly influenced by external actors.