Tensions Rise in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir After Ban on Protest Group

Tensions Rise in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir After Ban on Protest Group
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Pakistan-administered Kashmir has entered a new period of political tension after authorities banned the Joint Awami Action Committee and arrested dozens of its supporters ahead of a planned protest march.

According to the Associated Press, the regional government banned the group in Muzaffarabad, citing public order and security concerns. The committee has led protests over a 38-point charter that includes demands for subsidized wheat, cheaper electricity and governance reforms. Officials say 36 demands were accepted in earlier negotiations, while two remain unresolved.

One major dispute concerns 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan. On Sunday, the region’s top court ruled that those seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment.

Authorities increased security across the Himalayan region before the planned protest. The committee has refused to cancel the march, while officials accused it of pressuring businesses to join strikes.

The crisis comes before upcoming regional elections and amid long-standing tensions over Kashmir, which is divided between Pakistan and India but claimed in full by both countries.