What happened
Shops and markets were largely shut and vehicular traffic was minimal in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, as the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) observed a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike.
Streets in the capital were deserted and riot police and paramilitary personnel remained deployed, but no demonstrations were witnessed there, according to Dawn. In Mirpur, reports said hundreds of people had gathered at the Quaid-i-Azam stadium and that shops were closed and traffic off the roads. Witnesses in Kotli said the district observed a complete strike as hundreds of people led by JAAC core member Imtiaz Aslam headed towards Poonch district via Tatta Pani, while another large rally led by JAAC core member Khawaja Mehran entered Kotli from Dadyal.
The strike followed clashes on the night of Sunday, 7 June, in Rawalakot that officials said killed seven civilians and four law enforcement personnel. The AJK government had declared JAAC a proscribed organisation on 5 June, saying it was engaged in terrorism and had acted in a manner prejudicial to peace and security, and a crackdown followed in which scores of its leaders and activists were arrested.
JAAC had planned a long march from Bhimber through Mirpur, Kotli and Poonch to Muzaffarabad on 10 June for a sit-in outside the Legislative Assembly. Officials said protesters would not be allowed to assemble anywhere or carry out a cross-territory march, and by the evening the planned march had failed to draw large crowds.
Why it matters
On the same day, the AJK government announced a reward of Rs10 million for information leading to the arrest of four wanted JAAC figures. The notification named Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Mehran Arshad Khawaja and Sardar Aman Khan, and the Home Department directed the inspector general of police to implement the reward scheme, with the identity of informants to be kept confidential. Orders were also issued to begin sedition proceedings against Mir and Khawaja over what a notification described as speeches and written, video and audio material.
At the centre of the crisis is JAAC’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. The AJK Supreme Court ruled that the seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be removed without a constitutional amendment. Elections in the territory are scheduled for 27 July 2026.
Authorities had reinforced the region’s police with federal paramilitary personnel, advised tourists to leave by 20 June and imposed restrictions including the suspension of mobile internet services. The shutdown disrupted daily life across the territory and underscored how quickly a dispute over representation had escalated into a confrontation testing the region’s administration ahead of the elections.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited sources, which were reviewed on 2026-06-09.
- Dawn — "JAAC strike: Markets, streets deserted in AJK's Muzaffarabad but no demonstrations held"9 June 2026 · The strike in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Kotli, and the deployment of riot police and paramilitary personnel.
- Dawn — "AJK braces for long march as tensions persist"9 June 2026 · The Rawalakot casualties, the JAAC proscription and crackdown, the 12 refugee seats and the planned Bhimber-to-Muzaffarabad march.
- ARY News — "AJK govt announces Rs10 million reward for arrest of JAAC leaders"9 June 2026 · The reward notification, the four named leaders and the Home Department's directions to police.
