AJK Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif on Tuesday said that a significant number of terrorists belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij were present among the protesters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

At the outset, Hanif said that there had been some illegal and violent activities in AJK aimed at sabotaging the upcoming phases of the AJK elections.

“The fundamental duty of the state is to maintain law and order, continue the democratic process, and fulfil this responsibility. The state is capable of doing so,” he stressed.

The senior official claimed that a significant number of JAAC protesters consisted of members of Fitna Al Khawarij rather then common people.

He also played a video which showed masked gunmen on the roof of a building in the region.

“Common people are fewer in number; however, armed individuals, militants and Fitna Al Khawarij members are present, which falls under the definition of terrorism,” Hanif maintained.

“They have involved innocent people by misleading them. We appeal to the people to distance themselves from them. The government will also make some public announcements in this regard to fulfil its responsibility,” he stated.

The regional information secretary added that anti-state elements were using children and women as human shields.

“Several misleading videos have been circulated on social media, indicating that it is a human rights movement; however, that is not the case.”

Hanif elaborated that state institutions have adequate information regarding the presence of Fitna Al Khawarij elements and members of other militant organisations.

Earlier today, while sharing a video of several people carrying arms in AJK, the region’s Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said, “They planned this for weeks and now they have got what they wanted: the blood of innocent Kashmiris.”

“The rioters not only have sophisticated weapons, they also have the advantage of access to all vantage points from where they take aim at security forces, whose only objective has been to contain the situation and prevent escalation,” Rathore stated.

He added that the march to Muzaffarabad during the elections was a “conniving plan to trigger mass unrest”.

“I appeal to the people to stay away from these agitators who have a proven record of using civilians as human shields and creating a win-win situation for themselves once security personnel act in self-defence,” he said.

More to follow