“...it is imperative that Pakistan facilitates peaceful assemblies and does not restrict the right to freedom of association.”

Pakistan continues Kashmir Internet Shutdown

As of the time of this newsletter, the internet shutdown – enacted on June 5th - continues in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, in the wake of protests and strikes by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a broad church umbrella civil society organisation, and retaliatory (as well as preemptive) crackdowns by the government of Pakistan.

This is not the first dance betwixt the JAAC and the Pakistani government, with clashes after protests and strikes by the former in 2024 and late 2025 concerning rising electricity costs and shortage of wheat (subsidised by the state). This time, however, the Pakistani state has proscribed the JAAC, asserting that the organisation is, according to a government circular:

“engaged in terrorism, acted in a manner prejudicial to the peace & security of the State, involved in creating anarchy in the State by intimidating public, promoting hatred & creating sense of insecurity in society and public at large, etc”.

The government circular document continues:

“Now, therefore, in exercise of powers conferred under section 12 of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014, the President, Azad Jammu and Kashmir has accorded approval to list the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), also known by names such as Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and Awami Action Committee (AAC) etc, in the First Schedule of ATA, 2014, Proscribed Organization for the purpose of the said Act.”

Background to 2026

This year’s JAAC-led protests were sparked by calls by the JAAC to abolish seats reserved for refugees fleeing Indian-administered Kashmir, but who currently live elsewhere in Pakistan (they are not eligible to contest said seats if they live in PJK). On the surface, that refugees from IAK (with human rights violations highlighted by organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch) could contest elections in what they may perceive as the slightly safer PJK, and have a greater say in the fragmented country, could be viewed as progressive. What the JAAC et al contend, however, is that “this an outdated provision weaponized by political parties to influence the formation of the regional government.” As a Pakistani journalist based in PJK, Abdul Jabbar Nasir, told Al Jazeera, however:

“If the constitutional protection provided begins to be changed by these protesters, then I don’t think things can function,” Nasir said.

“It is essential for these seats to exist. If we abolish them, on one hand, Pakistan’s own case for Kashmiri statehood in the United Nations will be weakened, and India’s case will be strengthened,” he added.

He drew a parallel with India, noting that New Delhi historically kept a number of seats vacant in its parliament and the former Jammu and Kashmir assembly as a way of asserting that those bodies represented the entire former princely state, including areas under Pakistani control. If Pakistan now dismantles refugee representation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, he warned, India could argue that both countries have effectively “regularised” their control over their respective portions of the disputed region.

It is not exactly a shocker, therefore, that talks between the JAAC and the Pakistani government collapsed, given the refusal of either to budge on this central point of content ie the twelve reserved seats, out of a total of forty-five. These seats will contested as part of the Azad Kashmir General Election, to be held on July 27th of this year.

After the talks broke down, not only did the government of Pakistan issue a travel advisory to discourage travelling to PJK on June 5th, but it also enacted the aforementioned internet shutdown on the same day. A day later, the Pakistani journalist Sohrab Barkat, who had been reporting on the protests – which have seen protestors attacked, and at least one activist with the JAAC, Shahzeb Habib, killed in a “police encounter” – was arrested and charged under Pakistan’s draconian Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, specifically:

Sections 20 (defamation) and 26-A (fake and false information) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 for allegedly “promoting” and “endorsing” the JKJAAC.

Barkat was released on bail on June 15th, according to Journalism Pakistan.

Though internet access remains suspended in the area, this has not stopped disinformation arising regarding the protests.The Pakistan-based fact-checking organisation Soch Fact Check has debunked at least three examples of disinformation, two of which utilised generative AI, with the third being an old video of police and protestor clashes being promoted as happening in 2026.

Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said in a statement that:

“The alarming escalation of violence, including deaths of protesters, raises serious questions. The authorities must conduct an independent inquiry into allegations of the extrajudicial killing of Shahzeb Habib, a thorough and independent investigation into unlawful killings of protesters in Rawalakot and also investigate the alleged deaths of police officers. Those responsible must be held to account in line with international human rights standards,” said Isabelle Lassee.

“Pakistani authorities must take immediate steps to deescalate the situation and practice restraint and strict adherence to international standards on the use of force, and only use force as a last resort, and in line with the principles of necessity and proportionality. Ahead of the upcoming regional elections, it is imperative that Pakistan facilitates peaceful assemblies and does not restrict the right to freedom of association. This should start by lifting the unlawful ban on JKJAAC.”

Pakistani anti-terrorism court gives life sentences to celebrated Baloch activists

On June 22nd, the Quetta Anti-Terrorism court sentenced Mahrang Baloch, and Sibghat Ullah Shah Jee, to life imprisonment, over what the government of Pakistan argued was their role in inciting the death of a Pakistani soldier during a protest rally protest in Gwadar in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, over the summer of 2024. Baloch, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 and included in BBC’s “100 Women” list, and Shah Jee strongly denied the charges and the sentence, and, according to a spokesperson for the government in Balochistan have the right to appeal.

According to the government of Pakistan, this was “not a case concerning political opinion, peaceful dissent or the right to protest. It concerned the murder of a soldier”, and that the state and police had “undeniable evidence" of the role of the two in inciting violence. But is this really the case?

As Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said in response to the sentencing:

“This verdict, which is an affront to the right to a fair trial, demonstrates how Pakistan’s anti-terrorism laws are being cynically misused to silence peaceful dissent. The conviction and sentence followed an expedited secret trial conducted on jail premises, during which serious concerns were raised over international fair trial standards and due process. No direct evidence was presented linking Mahrang and Shah Jee to the alleged violence.

“It also comes after a prolonged period of unlawful detention. Mahrang was arrested in March 2025 following a peaceful sit-in and later charged with over two dozen anti-terrorism cases filed across Pakistan. These cases were so high in number that it was difficult for her lawyers to even keep track, let alone provide meaningful legal representation.

“Mahrang and Shah Jee are being targeted solely for their human rights work. They should be immediately released, with all charges related to their activism dropped.”

The statement by Amnesty International also provides further background:

“Mahrang Baloch and Sibghat Ullah Shah Jee are members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a peaceful civil rights movement in Pakistan advocating for an end to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial murder and economic injustice in Balochistan province. They have been under unlawful detention since protests erupted in March 2025, along with four other Baloch activists, in connection with various charges related to their activism.

On 22 June, Mahrang and Shah Jee were convicted and sentenced under section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code and section and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 for the alleged killing of a law enforcement officer from the Frontier Corps (FC) during the Baloch Raji Machi (Baloch National Gathering) in July 2024. Mahrang and Shah Jee boycotted the trial proceedings due to the persistent denial of their right to a fair trial and the alleged bias of the judge. A state-appointed defence counsel represented them in the later stages of the trial, who did not consult with them. In the later stages of the trial, Mahrang and Shah Jee were only given the option to join via video link.

The judgement implicates Mahrang for participating in the assembly and allegedly delivering an inciting speech and referring to state officials as “occupiers”, without demonstrating whether mere speech meets the threshold for a murder or terrorism offence. Shah Jee was implicated for being part of a crowd that charged at the FC officer. At least three Baloch protesters were killed during the protests, with no one yet charged for the killings.”

In January of this year, we quoted Natiq Malikzada’s 2025 piece for The Diplomat:

“Enforced disappearance – when a person is taken by state agents or those acting with state support, followed by a denial of custody – is a crime under international law. This combination removes the victim from legal protection and leaves families trapped in painful uncertainty, with no clear office or authority to turn to for answers about their loved one. In Balochistan, this is done as part of Pakistan’s counterinsurgency efforts. People are taken from their homes, but also from public markets and roads, then kept without contact for weeks or months. Later, some are reported dead after so-called “encounters” that many in Balochistan, including human rights groups, call a “kill-and-dump”policy.  

Many international human rights groups attribute these abductions to Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Corps and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). The Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) shield these operations by using sweeping counterterrorism powers granted by the state’s permissive laws to detain suspects without charge and keep cases in the dark.”

It is thus unsurprising that the government of Pakistan and its powerful armed forces – which essentially run Pakistan – will purport that activists who are pushing for greater equality and say over how their province and its mineral wealth is run and shared, are to Pakistan what Israel claims Palestinian activists are ie enemies of the state, rather than citizens fighting for their rights.

As we also wrote in January of this year:

“Concerns about “maligning” the “good name” of the Pakistani state and armed forces have also seen attempts by the Pakistani state to reportedly "caution" Pakistani academics and journalists working overseas from “speaking out on politically delicate subjects like the indigenous insurgency in Baluchistan or accusations of human rights abuses by Pakistani soldiers.”

Is it any surprise, therefore, that activists and human rights defenders based in Pakistan would be intimidated and even sentenced to prison for speaking out, coinciding with the reaching of a trade agreement between the US and Pakistan, and where, quote, “most of Pakistan’s reserves are believed to be in the insurgency-hit southwestern province of Balochistan”?”

Sources:

Authorities must end repression of dissent in Jammu and Kashmir. (2024, September 18). Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/09/india-authorities-must-end-repression-of-dissent-in-jammu-and-kashmir/

Deadly protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir: What’s going on?(2026, June 9). Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/deadly-protests-in-pakistan-administered-kashmir-whats-going-on

Pakistan: Authorities must immediately release Baloch activists handed life sentences following secret trial (2026, June 23). Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/06/pakistan-authorities-must-immediately-release-baloch-activists-handed-life-sentences-following-secret-trial/

Pakistan: “Terrorism” designation of protest movement marks dangerous escalation in Jammu and Kashmir crackdown (2026, June 9). Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/06/pakistan-terrorism-designation-of-protest-movement-marks-dangerous-escalation-in-jammu-and-kashmir-crackdown/

Pakistani authorities detain journalist Sohrab Barkat again over reporting on Kashmir - Committee to protect journalists. (2026, June 12). Committee to Protect Journalists. https://cpj.org/2026/06/pakistani-authorities-detain-journalist-sohrab-barkat-again-over-reporting-on-kashmir/

AJK protesters call it off a day after “demands met”. (2024, May 14). Express Tribune. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2466497/ajks-joint-action-committee-calls-off-strike

India: Repression persists in Jammu and Kashmir. (2024, July 31). Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/31/india-repression-persists-jammu-and-kashmir

Hussain, I. (2024, October 4). Violent protests end as peace agreement reached in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/pakistan-shehbaz-sharif-india-himalayan-b2839343.html

Javed, F. (2026, June 24). Mahrang Baloch, who fought for Pakistan’s disappeared men, now faces life in jail. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ry07x87kvo

Journalist Sohrab Barkat released on bail. (2026, June 18). Journalism Pakistan. https://www.journalismpakistan.com/journalist-sohrab-barkat-released-on-bail

Image of JAAC protesters breaking into ATM is AI-generated. (2026, June 25). Soch Fact Check. https://www.sochfactcheck.com/image-of-jaac-protesters-breaking-into-atm-is-ai-generated/

Image of PML-N leader Dr. Najeeb Naqi getting kicked out of a wedding is AI-generated.(2026, June 25). Soch Fact Check. https://www.sochfactcheck.com/image-of-pml-n-leader-dr-najeeb-naqi-getting-kicked-out-of-a-wedding-is-ai-generated/

Old video claims to show Rawalakot clash between police and AJK protestors. (2026, June 25). Soch Fact Check https://www.sochfactcheck.com/old-video-claims-to-show-rawalakot-clash-between-police-and-ajk-protestors/