Pakistan places 43 PoJK activists under anti-terror law

Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on political and civic activists in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Authorities have placed 43 individuals associated with the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC) under the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The Home Department of PoJK issued a notification following a cabinet decision to include these individuals, who are identified as active supporters or members of the JK-JAAC. The group has been proscribed under Section 12 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The affected individuals reside in several districts, including Poonch, Sudhanoti, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bagh, and Bhimber, as well as various districts within Pakistan’s Punjab province such as Jhelum, Layyah, and Gujrat. Being placed on the Fourth Schedule subjects these individuals to increased state surveillance, including movement monitoring, mandatory police reporting, financial scrutiny, and restrictions on travel and passports.