Danish Irshad placed on anti-terrorism watchlist in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

Danish Irshad, a veteran journalist and researcher, has been placed on Pakistan’s Fourth Schedule, an anti-terrorism watchlist, by the regional government of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The notification, issued on July 29, 2026, under the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, includes Irshad and 23 others.

The authorities have accused the listed individuals of being activists associated with the Jammu & Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an organization that was proscribed in June. Irshad, who has covered politics and unrest in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan for nearly a decade, has reported extensively on recent protests concerning governance, political representation, and basic amenities. His reporting included interviews with families alleging that their children were killed by security forces.

Being placed on the Fourth Schedule serves as an administrative measure to monitor individuals suspected of links to proscribed groups. The designation imposes severe restrictions on travel and finances without requiring a formal trial or criminal conviction. Irshad, a columnist for Kashmir Times and a reporter for Neo News, has stated he was neither tried nor convicted prior to being listed.