JKJAAC Reaffirms Commitment to Fundamental Rights in Unanimous Rawalakot Declaration
The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee’s unanimous declaration, issued in Rawalakot on 28 September 2026, demands implementation of agreed commitments, condemns the crackdown on civilians and calls for public preparations ahead of the movement’s next course of action, to be announced on 4 October.
9/28/20265 min read
Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee Declaration
28 September 2026 | Rawalakot
The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) unanimously issues the following declaration:
1. During the Long March between 29 September and 2 October 2025, seven young men—Sudheer Awan, Qari Ahsan Shah, Ansar Bhatti, Awais, Farhan, Habib Tariq and Fareed Riyasat—were martyred at the hands of Pakistani forces.
Subsequently, to prevent the peaceful Long March announced by JKJAAC to demand implementation of the tripartite agreements reached between JKJAAC, the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani forces began a campaign of terror in Azad Kashmir on 5 June 2026. Approximately 100 people have been martyred to date.
JKJAAC core members Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Sardar Shehzad Khan, Anjum Zaman Awan, Tauseef Jarral Advocate, Chaudhry Shabbir Nagyalvi, Amjad Ali Khan Advocate and Sajjad Pothi, alongside Dr Abdul Manan, Raja Iftikhar Ahmed, Maulana Ahsan, Bilal Khan, Muhammad Shoaib, Muhammad Sohail, Shehbaz, Raja Kamran Bashir, Shafiq Kayani, Shafiq Inquilabi, Wasi Khawaja, Amir Yousaf Zargar, Raja Shehzad, Rizwan Karamat and Sohail Kashmiri, as well as journalists Sardar Awais, Ansar Abbasi, Fazail Mughal and Inzamam Chaudhry, are among hundreds of people who have been arrested and forcibly disappeared. They have been subjected to severe and inhumane psychological abuse and torture, without being brought before courts or provided with medical assistance.
Thousands of others across the territory have been arrested and subjected to severe torture in police stations and prisons. This continues. Citizens’ property, shops and valuable possessions have been looted; homes, vehicles and offices have been vandalised; and shops and educational institutions across the territory have been sealed.
When the Long March resumed its advance on 27 July, Pakistani forces fired military weapons at unarmed civilians, killing and injuring peaceful participants. This was an inhumane and abhorrent act and constitutes a war crime.
The courage of unarmed people who have stood firm in defence of their rights and continued their struggle for the fulfilment of JKJAAC’s Charter of Demands deserves the highest recognition. JKJAAC salutes the people of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, including traders, transport workers, lawyers, students, religious scholars, women, children, journalists and social media activists, together with members of the overseas Kashmiri community, including women and children. We deeply value every sacrifice they have made for this movement.
2. JKJAAC has been pursuing a peaceful struggle for the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir for more than three years. Throughout this period, JKJAAC has consistently sought to secure implementation of its Charter of Demands through purposeful and meaningful negotiations.
However, the ruling authorities have repeatedly resorted to deception, broken promises, oppression, coercion, violence and anarchy. Every march has faced attempts to suppress it through violence. This time, the ruling authorities have launched an undeclared war against the people of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, exposing their incompetence and failure.
3. The occupation of educational institutions, hospitals and other public places in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir by forces brought in from Pakistan has disrupted students’ education and deprived citizens of access to healthcare.
People and students cannot safely continue educational activities while armed forces responsible for ruthless killings remain deployed in towns, hospitals and public educational institutions. In recent days, an elderly woman who begged for a living, a woman with a mental health condition and a young man named Faizan were brutally shot dead in Rawalakot.
JKJAAC therefore considers the withdrawal of forces from towns, the restoration of internet services and the establishment of peace essential for education to continue. Our children’s lives are precious, and we will make every sacrifice necessary to protect them.
To limit further disruption to students’ education under the present circumstances, JKJAAC has temporarily opened volunteer-run schools. We appeal to the public to support this initiative.
4. JKJAAC strongly condemns the fabricated and baseless smear campaign against its respected core members Sardar Arbab Advocate, Raja Ghulam Mujtaba and Sardar Khan Ilyas Khan.
We make clear that all three core members have played an exemplary role in the ongoing movement for public rights. Those who organise or spread such malicious and unfounded propaganda are enemies of the movement.
5. JKJAAC appeals to the people of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir to stock up on food and essential provisions for the next two months by 3 October 2026.
With support from donors in each Union Council and ward, arrangements should be made to provide food supplies to low-income households and daily-wage workers. A major call to action will be announced after 4 October.
The traders’ shutdown will be temporarily eased from 28 September to 3 October. Traders are requested to keep their businesses open during these six days so that people can purchase food and essential provisions. Goods transport should continue solely for the delivery of food supplies.
The public is requested to avoid unnecessary travel, except for patients and those travelling abroad. We urge everyone to use these six days to prepare fully for the next major call to action.
6. On 4 October, marking one year since the agreements of 4 October, JKJAAC will observe a Black Day against the authorities’ failure to honour their commitments and promises.
Protest programmes will take place at the ongoing sit-ins in Rawalakot and the United Kingdom, as well as at other locations. We appeal to the public to raise black flags during these protests against the authorities’ broken promises and aggression.
The movement’s next course of action will also be announced on 4 October. We call upon the entire nation to make all necessary preparations. JKJAAC has not relinquished the fundamental rights of its people under any circumstances and will continue to advance the struggle.
7. JKJAAC appeals to the people of Pakistan, traders, transport workers, journalists, intellectuals, lawyers and trade unions to raise their voices and organise protests against inflation, unemployment and the lack of access to healthcare and education in Pakistan, and against the suppression of the peaceful struggle for fundamental rights and the inhumane mass killings carried out by forces brought from Pakistan into Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
8. JKJAAC strongly condemns the baseless and negative propaganda spread by the ruling authorities in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.
We pay tribute to social media activists among the people of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir and the overseas Kashmiri community, alongside television channels and journalists who speak up for truth and justice. We appeal to them to respond firmly and effectively on every front in defence of this peaceful, democratic and political movement for fundamental public rights.
9. JKJAAC makes clear to the ruling authorities that, instead of spreading baseless and negative propaganda, they must immediately implement all agreements reached with JKJAAC and all accepted demands within its Charter of Demands. They must accept responsibility for all events since 5 June and secure a peaceful resolution.
Otherwise, the people of this region will, through their peaceful struggle, sweep these incompetent rulers away like chaff. History will bear witness that victory ultimately belongs to people who stand for truth and justice.
10. The movement led by JKJAAC over the past three and a half years is a peaceful political struggle for fundamental rights. Our movement is not directed against any country.
We therefore appeal to everyone associated with the movement within the territory, and to overseas Kashmiris, to intensify their efforts to secure the Charter of Demands while ensuring full compliance with JKJAAC’s stated code of conduct.
© 2025 Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee. All rights reserved.
CONTACT US