MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has placed 150 members of the banned Joint Public Action Committee (JPAC) in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, according to official sources.
A formal notification to this effect was issued by the AJK Home Department after authorities included hundreds of members of the proscribed organization in the official watchlist. The action was taken under Section 16 (1) of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, which empowers the government to monitor individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism-related activities.
Sources confirmed that the list includes four top leaders of the banned committee, alongside other members against whom authorities possess substantial evidence of their involvement in violent acts. The move is seen as a major step by the AJK administration to curb militancy and maintain law and order in the region.
The Fourth Schedule is a legal mechanism used to keep suspected individuals under surveillance, restricting their movements and requiring them to regularly report to local police authorities. The government has not yet issued a public statement regarding the specific activities that prompted the latest crackdown, though it is believed to be linked to recent incidents of unrest.
