MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) government has placed the leadership and 150 activists of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, ARY News reported.
According to the notification issued by the AJK Home Department, key leaders including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Raja Amjad Ali, Anjum Zaman, Raja Saib Javed, Umar Nazeer Kashmiri, Advocate Arbab, Arshad, Najeebullah, Advocate Saad Ansari, Imtiaz Aslam, and Raja Hafeez Babar have been added to the list.
Officials said individuals on the Fourth Schedule will face strict monitoring of their movement and participation in public gatherings. Their financial transactions and other activities will also be placed under close surveillance. The notification makes regular reporting at the relevant police stations and monitoring by security agencies mandatory for all listed persons.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was declared a proscribed organization by the AJK government earlier this year over charges of violent protests and disrupting public order. The Fourth Schedule listing allows authorities to impose restrictions on the movement, speech, and financial dealings of those named.
What is the Fourth Schedule?
Fourth Schedule is part of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. It’s basically a watchlist for people suspected of being involved in terrorism, sectarian violence, or activities that threaten public order.
Here’s how it works:
- Purpose: To monitor and restrict individuals who are “proscribed” or suspected of links to banned organizations. It’s a preventive measure, not a conviction.
- Restrictions imposed once you’re listed:– Movement tracking: Police can monitor your travel and you may need permission to leave your district/city.- Gatherings: You can be barred from attending public meetings, rallies, or processions.- Reporting: You must report regularly to the local police station, sometimes weekly.
– Financial scrutiny: Banks and authorities can keep your transactions under watch.
– Other curbs: Can include limits on holding public office, arms licenses, or passports.
- Duration: Name stays on the list for 1 year, but the government can renew it. You can appeal to a review board if you think the listing is wrongful.
- In AJK context: Azad Kashmir has its own version of the Anti-Terrorism Act. So the AJK Home Department putting Joint Awami Action Committee leaders on the Fourth Schedule means those 150+ people now face police reporting, surveillance of movement, and financial monitoring.
Think of it as “under watch” status. It doesn’t mean jail, but it puts legal restrictions on daily life until the government removes the name.
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