Core member of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), Shaukat Nawaz Mir, has been arrested, according to reports on Tuesday. He was arrested by the Azad Kashmir police near the Line of Control (LoC) in the area of Dhirkot.
Law enforcement agencies in Azad Kashmir have arrested Shaukat Nawaz Mir and Raja Sohaib Javed, two key leaders of the banned JAAC.
Police said both men were wanted in several cases and were taken into custody during an operation in the Dhirkot area.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muzaffarabad Riaz Mughal confirmed the arrest and said that Shaukat Nawaz Mir was detained during the operation in Dhirkot.
According to the sources, Shaukat Nawaz Mir and Raja Sohaib Javed were arrested near the LoC. The sources claimed that both men were trying to flee towards the LoC when they were taken into custody.
They also said the committee had been demanding the abolition of reserved refugee seats in the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Earlier, the Azad Kashmir Home Department had announced a reward for information leading to the arrest of four active members of the committee, including Shaukat Nawaz Mir. The reward list also included Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Khawaja Mehran Arshad, and Sardar Aman.
Indian media steps up coverage of banned JAAC
According to reports on Tuesday, the Indian media has increased its coverage of the banned JAAC after its movement failed to gain public support in Azad Kashmir.
According to the details, the committee’s movement was rejected by the local population and some Indian media outlets have started promoting its narrative.
After the group failed to receive public support, Indian media began broadcasting reports containing what are being described as false and misleading claims in favour of the committee, as per the reports.
Some Indian television channels used footage from Rawalakot and aired it with headlines such as “PoK NOT PART OF PAKISTAN” and slogans against state institutions.
