AJK govt rejects BBC report regarding recent AJK situation, terms it contrary to facts

Muzaffarabad (Web Desk): The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has strongly rejected a report published by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the prevailing situation in the region, calling it inaccurate and detached from the facts.

Speaking at a news conference in Muzaffarabad, AJK Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Rashid Hanif said the report contained incorrect information and statistics.

He criticised the broadcaster for publishing the story without obtaining verification or an official response from the relevant government authorities, including the police and civil administration, describing the approach as inconsistent with professional journalism and media ethics.

Hanif also dismissed the allegations made by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) over the incidents that took place in Rawalakot and adjoining areas between July 27 and July 31. He said the claims were baseless, misleading and part of a deliberate campaign aimed at spreading false information.

The AJK information secretary said the accusations were intended to undermine public order and challenge the authority of the state through organised actions carried out by armed elements against law enforcement personnel.

He stated that during the recent unrest allegedly linked to the banned JAAC, several law enforcement officials lost their lives while others sustained injuries.

Hanif further claimed that police and Rangers vehicles were torched and damaged during the violence. 
He added that the AJK Police had already presented evidence during a press briefing in Muzaffarabad on July 27, showing that members of the banned organisation were carrying weapons.

The AJK info secretary said seven members of law enforcement agencies were martyred and more than 45 others suffered serious injuries in the recent incidents, while several additional officials sustained minor wounds caused by the same weapons. He maintained that these developments confirmed the presence of a significant number of armed individuals within the banned JAAC, whom he accused of attempting to destabilise public order and weaken the writ of the state.

He said the alleged use of weapons and violence by the banned organisation was not a recent phenomenon, claiming that such incidents had also marked its activities in previous years.

Referring to official figures, he said three law enforcement personnel were martyred in 2025, while 52 were seriously injured and more than 350 sustained minor injuries in violence attributed to the organisation. He added that in 2024, one security official was killed and around 60 others were seriously injured in similar incidents involving gunfire.

Hanif further claimed that two arrested armed operatives associated with the organisation had admitted in their confessional statements that they had been promised Rs10 million for killing a Rangers official. He said the alleged confession raised serious concerns about the sources of the organisation's financial backing.

He also stated that the AJK government had already released videos and official statements containing what it described as evidence of the organisation's possession of sophisticated weapons. According to Hanif, the BBC should have considered this verified material before publishing its report.

Praising the conduct of security institutions, he said law enforcement agencies had exercised restraint and professionalism while maintaining peace and order.

The AJK information secretary rejected allegations that officials had opened fire without provocation, withheld bodies or subjected individuals to torture, insisting that no bodies were currently in the custody of any AJK government institution.

Hanif also accused social media accounts linked to the banned organisation of spreading misleading propaganda.

He added that there was documented and verified evidence showing that roads had been blocked, disrupting the movement of essential supplies.

The AJK information secretary claimed that that members of the banned organisation had stopped and, in some cases, set fire to vehicles transporting food and other essential goods.