AJK police chief warns against disinformation amid standoff, denies curbs on goods transport

MUZAFFARABAD: AJK police chief on Thursday warned citizens at home and abroad against disinformation and AI-generated content, urging them to rely on official sources for information amid what he described as a “hybrid warfare” environment.

Addressing a press conference, Inspector General of Police Captain (retd) Liaqat Ali Malik said all entry points into AJK remained open to all types of traffic, including vehicles carrying essential commodities, and rejected reports suggesting otherwise.

He urged overseas Pakistanis, particularly members of the Kashmiri diaspora in the United Kingdom and Europe, to verify information through authentic government media and social media platforms.

“All major entry points into the territory, including Kohala, Azad Pattan and Bararkot, are open for all types of traffic without any intervention, except routine security checks within police protocols,” he said.

Malik alleged that activists of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had erected barriers at some locations and attacked or snatched goods-laden trucks, adding that law enforcement agencies were regularly clearing roads and facilitating commuters.

Referring to a recent BBC Urdu report, Malik claimed that the report was based on unverified allegations and published without seeking the government’s version, despite the availability of official contact channels.

“We can say that this article is far away from reality […],” he said.

The IGP recalled that both he and Chief Secretary Khushal Khan had clarified during a press conference on June 23 that police were not obstructing any traffic entering AJK, including trucks carrying essential goods and public transport vehicles.

The senior police official also said the government’s position had been disseminated through the Public Information Department’s official fact-checking platform on X, and urged citizens to follow official government accounts for authentic information.

Malik also called upon media organisations to verify reports relating to AJK Police with the force’s public relations office before broadcasting them, and to avoid airing unverified videos or material circulated from anonymous social media accounts.

The press conference came amid a mixed response to the ongoing strike called by the proscribed JAAC, during which internet services remained suspended and petrol stations remained closed under government orders.

Witnesses said a partial shutdown was observed across the Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions, while life remained largely normal in the Mirpur division.

In Muzaffarabad, long queues were seen outside the only petrol station allowed to sell fuel in limited quantities. People carrying plastic bottles and small cans waited to obtain fuel for motorcycles and generators.

Meanwhile, the government stepped up action against employees accused of participating in or facilitating sit-ins organised by the proscribed outfit.

According to official notifications, three employees of the electricity department, eight teachers, a laboratory assistant and two peons of the education department, as well as two employees of a medical college, were suspended for allegedly engaging in activities considered incompatible with government service rules.

Official sources said the government was determined to proceed against employees found supporting those challenging the writ of the state and warned that further disciplinary action, including dismissal from service, could follow.

Late on Thursday night, JAAC announced that it would continue its protest campaign through what it described as peaceful sit-ins, dispelling speculation that it might launch a long march.

JAAC ban

Ahead of the July 27 elections in AJK, the JAAC had called for widespread protests demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from occupied Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947.

Elections for these seats are held separately from the 33 general seats in AJK, with refugees registered in 12 constituencies across Pakistan voting for their representatives. The seats have long been politically sensitive due to disputes over voter lists, delimitation, and constitutional amendments.

On June 5, the JAAC was declared a proscribed organisation by the regional government and placed under the First Schedule of the region’s anti-terrorism act (ATA).

A day later, AJK authorities launched a crackdown on the JAAC, arresting scores of its leaders and later placing 147 of its activists on the Fourth Schedule of the ATA. ...