ISLAMABAD – Banned Awami Joint Public Action Committee urged residents to stock up on food supplies for the next two months by October 3, saying an “extremely important call” will be announced on October 4.
In a statement issued from Rawalakot, the committee appealed to the business community to keep shops and businesses open so that people can continue purchasing essential food items.
The committee said October 4 would be observed as a “Black Day” to mark one year since agreements were reached with the government and to protest what it described as subsequent “breaches of commitments.”
The call comes amid tensions between the committee and the regional government. The Pakistan-administered Kashmir government has previously declared the Joint Public Action Committee a banned organization.
The committee’s appeal for residents to secure food supplies before October 3, followed by planned announcement on October 4, has raised the possibility of further public mobilization in the region. However, details of the “extremely important call” have not yet been disclosed.
Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) led several major protest movements in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in recent years, with some escalating into clashes with law-enforcement agencies.
Earlier this year, protest campaign involving shutter-down and wheel-jam strikes resulted in deadly clashes. At least eight deaths were initially reported, with later accounts putting the overall toll at 10 or more. An agreement was reached on October 4, 2025, including compensation and provisions for investigations into the deaths.
AJK government formally proscribed JAAC under the Anti-Terrorism Act, following another deadly confrontation in Rawalakot that officials said killed seven civilians and four law-enforcement personnel.
