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Neelum Residents Distance from Banned Action CommitteeAzad Kashmir
Citizens, traders and social circles in Neelum Valley say they will not join any platform that blocks peace or public welfare, Kashmir Urdu reports.
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Citizens, traders and social groups in Neelum Valley have decided to distance themselves from the banned Joint Awami Action Committee, according to a report published by Kashmir Urdu on Friday. The report said residents reached the decision after concluding that the group’s activities were harming public welfare and the peace of the region.
Speaking to Kashmir Digital, residents said they would not join any organisation or platform that stands in the way of solving public problems, protecting peace or serving the collective interest of the area. They said disagreement and protest are every citizen’s democratic right, but any activity must serve public welfare rather than personal, political or foreign interests.
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The report gave traders a central role in the decision, saying the business community underpins economic stability, commercial activity and the continuity of daily life in the valley. It said trader organisations were among those stepping back from the group. The report also noted that the allegations against the committee, its alleged foreign links and claims of falling public support still need independent verification, and that the committee’s own position should also be heard so the issue can be presented to the public in a balanced way.
The Joint Awami Action Committee was declared a proscribed organisation by the Azad Kashmir government on 5 June 2026 under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The committee, founded in Rawalakot in September 2023 as a coalition of traders, lawyers, students and civic groups, first campaigned for subsidised flour and cheaper electricity before taking up the demand to abolish 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan. It denies the allegations against it and describes its movement as peaceful. Earlier, two central members of the committee, Faisal Gilani and Khawaja Anis, who belongs to Neelum, announced their dissociation from the group in June, and state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported the same month that people across Azad Kashmir had refused to join its protest calls.
The report closed by urging the governments of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir to direct law enforcement agencies to maintain peace, protect citizens from harassment and act against any unlawful activity. It did not record a response from the committee.
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