JKJAAC Advisory Council Issues Emergency Strategic Advisory to Protect Civilian Lives and Preserve Peaceful Democratic Movement

The reported collapse of the mediation channel has created an exceptionally dangerous situation. A mass march that requires unarmed civilians to breach curfew and move toward armed security positions carries a foreseeable risk of catastrophic loss of life. The leadership has a duty to preserve the people, the movement and its moral legitimacy while refusing to abandon the demands for justice, dignity and democratic rights.

This advisory does not recommend surrender, unconditional dispersal or abandonment of the Dharna. It recommends an urgent change of method: from a vulnerable physical confrontation to sustained, disciplined and verifiable non-violent pressure.

1. Core Committee Resolution

The Advisory Council recommends that the Core Committee adopt and publicly announce the following resolution:

JKJAAC will not knowingly lead unarmed civilians into a foreseeable armed confrontation. The physical Long March toward Muzaffarabad shall remain suspended under emergency humanitarian review. The peaceful Dharna shall continue in disciplined, non-violent and humanitarian form. The Government shall be given a final 72-hour window to restore communications and essential access, return withheld bodies, disclose and release peaceful detainees, cease raids and retaliation, and nominate fully authorised representatives for immediate negotiations. Failure to act will lead to a new phase of peaceful legal, democratic, humanitarian and international action, not an uncontrolled march into armed lines.

2. Final Advisory

DO NOT MARCH INTO A PROBABLE FIRING LINE. DO NOT DISPERSE UNCONDITIONALLY. DO NOT ABANDON THE MOVEMENT’S DEMANDS.

Hold the peaceful Dharna. Protect civilians. Set a 72-hour humanitarian deadline. Document every case. Activate legal, diplomatic and international protection channels. Continue disciplined, democratic and non-violent pressure until a credible path to justice and dialogue is restored.

Preserving life is not weakness. In the present circumstances, it is the movement’s highest moral duty and strongest strategic choice.

Submitted respectfully,

Advisory Council

Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC)

For consideration by the Core Committee and all participants in the peaceful Dharna

3. Why the Long March Should Not Proceed Now

a) A march under curfew would require civilians to confront blocked roads and armed security lines, creating an unacceptable risk of mass casualties.

b) A violent confrontation would shift public attention away from killings, detainees, withheld bodies, communications restrictions, democratic rights and previously signed agreements.

c) Proceeding despite a clear and foreseeable danger could fracture public confidence, overwhelm medical capacity and expose families, women, children, elderly people and patients to grave harm.

d) Restraint preserves the movement’s moral authority and keeps responsibility for refusing dialogue clearly with the authorities.

e) Suspension of the physical march does not require the Dharna to end or any demand to be withdrawn.

4. Humanitarian Standstill and Protected Dharna

The Core Committee should convert the Dharna into a protected humanitarian and democratic assembly. It should announce that:

a) participants will remain peaceful, unarmed and disciplined;

b) no attempt will be made to breach curfew, checkpoints or security cordons;

c) the Dharna will continue, and the movement’s demands remain unchanged;

d) medical, food and ambulance access must remain open at all times;

e) no participant should approach, surround or provoke security personnel;

f) children, pregnant women, elderly people and medically vulnerable participants should be assisted to safer civilian areas if an operation appears imminent; and

g) the continuation and form of the Dharna will be reviewed at fixed intervals based on humanitarian conditions and Government conduct.

5. Final 72-Hour Humanitarian and Political Window

The next deadline should demand verifiable humanitarian action, not threaten a march into armed lines.

Within 24 hours:

a) restore internet, mobile telephone and public communications;

b) open routes for ambulances, food, medicines and essential supplies;

c) publish or provide verified hospital casualty records;

d) disclose all detention locations and permit family, legal and medical access;

e) return every withheld body without conditions;

f) issue written orders prohibiting live fire and excessive force against peaceful assemblies; and

g) suspend raids and further protest-related arrests.

Within 48 hours:

a) provide a consolidated detainee and missing-person register;

b) release all persons detained solely for peaceful protest activity;

c) issue written non-retaliation and safe-passage guarantees;

d) permit independent medical, legal and human-rights access; and

e) nominate Government negotiators with written authority.

Within 72 hours:

a) hold the first formal negotiating session;

b) agree the agenda, timetable and decision-making authority;

c) establish an interim implementation and verification group; and

d) publish a written schedule for the previously accepted humanitarian and confidence-building points.

6. Replacement Dialogue and Protection Mechanism

The inability of one intermediary to continue should not terminate the peace process. JKJAAC should issue a written invitation for a replacement mechanism comprising:

a) an authorised JKJAAC representative;

b) an authorised AJK Government representative;

c) an authorised Government of Pakistan representative;

d) an agreed retired judge or senior jurist;

e) a representative acceptable to bereaved and affected families;

f) a credible human-rights or civil-society observer;

g) an Overseas Kashmiri representative; and

h) an independent secretariat responsible for records, timelines and public updates.

The invitation should specify a short deadline for acceptance. Any refusal or failure to nominate authorised representatives should be documented and made public in measured, factual language.

7. Civilian Protection Protocol at the Dharna

The Core Committee should establish an identifiable civilian-protection structure immediately:

a) non-violent marshals with visible identification and written instructions;

b) protected ambulance and medical-access lanes;

c) medical points and a register of vulnerable participants;

d) a detention, missing-person and family-liaison desk;

e) a legal-support and emergency contact desk;

f) a verified incident and casualty register;

g) a strict prohibition on weapons, incendiary materials and property damage;

h) a rumour-verification team to prevent panic and misinformation;

i) designated spokespersons authorised to issue movement statements; and

j) an emergency plan prioritising the safety of children, pregnant women, elderly people and those with serious medical conditions.

No participant should be instructed to rush checkpoints, push security lines, interfere with ambulances, damage property or respond physically to provocation.

8. Truth, Documentation and Protection Phase

Because casualty, detention and disappearance figures remain contested, JKJAAC should publish information in three categories: independently verified; reported and under verification; and missing or status unknown.

For every case, authorised documentation teams should securely record:

a) full name and identity details;

b) date, time and place of the incident;

c) family and legal contacts;

d) hospital, detention or last-known-location information;

e) witness details and evidential provenance;

f) photographs, videos or documents, with source and date; and

g) consent and risk classification before public disclosure.

Sensitive personal information must be shared only with trusted lawyers, consular authorities, independent investigators or human-rights mechanisms where consent and safety permit.

9. Overseas and International Protection Action

The Advisory Council and Overseas Kashmiris should establish an emergency coordination group focused on civilian protection and verified casework. It should:

a) compile a confidential list of British and other foreign nationals believed killed, injured, detained or missing;

b) help families contact the relevant consular authority and obtain case-reference numbers;

c) brief constituency MPs, parliamentarians and diplomatic missions with verified case summaries;

d) request urgent consular access and representations for detained or missing foreign nationals;

e) submit verified cases to OHCHR, UN Special Procedures and recognised human-rights organisations;

f) request restoration of communications and independent humanitarian access; and

g) organise peaceful diaspora advocacy centred on protection, dialogue and accountability.

10. Democratic Rights and Election Safeguards

The movement should avoid a physical confrontation immediately before or around electoral activity. Instead, it should issue a non-partisan Democratic Rights and Election Integrity Declaration calling for:

a) restoration of communications;

b) release of peaceful political detainees;

c) no intimidation of voters, candidates or observers;

d) equal access to information;

e) independent observation;

f) publication of turnout and results by constituency;

g) protection of peaceful political expression; and

h) no retaliation after polling.

JKJAAC should protect the people’s right to participate freely and safely without directing them how to vote.

11. If the 72-Hour Window Fails

Failure should not automatically trigger a mass march into armed lines. The Core Committee should convene a public compliance assessment and, after consultation with bereaved families, lawyers, medical representatives, traders, transporters, students, district committees and Overseas Kashmiris, move to a lower-risk non-violent phase, including:

a) continuation of the stationary Dharna under the civilian-protection protocol;

b) peaceful district-level assemblies where lawful and safe;

c) court proceedings challenging detention, proscription, communication restrictions and coercive measures;

d) daily verified non-compliance reports;

e) a public register of detainees and missing persons, subject to consent and safety;

f) coordinated diaspora demonstrations and parliamentary engagement;

g) symbolic mourning, prayer and remembrance gatherings;

h) citizen hearings led by lawyers and affected families;

i) commercial or civic protest measures that preserve food, medicines and emergency services; and

j) renewed written invitations to negotiate against a standing agenda.

11. Instructions to All Dharna Participants

a) Remain peaceful, unarmed and disciplined.

b) Do not attempt to break curfew, cross security barriers or approach armed lines.

c) Do not carry weapons, incendiary materials or objects intended for violence.

d) Do not damage public or private property.

e) Protect ambulance routes and assist medically vulnerable people.

f) Follow only instructions issued through identified and authorised JKJAAC channels.

g) Do not spread unverified casualty, detention or operational information.

h) Record violations safely, without putting yourself or others in danger.

i) Report missing persons, arrests, injuries and urgent medical needs to designated desks.

j) Remember that non-violence, discipline and protection of life are the movement’s greatest source of legitimacy.

13. Reference Framework

This advisory is informed by the public calls of the UN Human Rights Chief for calm, impartial investigations, due process, restoration of internet access and meaningful dialogue; Amnesty International’s call for de-escalation, restraint and protection of peaceful assembly; The UK Government Response to online Petition to the Parliament, statements by ministers in the House of Commons and House of Lords on the written and Oral question of the members of the APPG on Kashmir and MPs, Lords concerning communications restrictions and British nationals; and independent human-rights documentation. Reported casualty and detention figures should continue to be independently verified.

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