PoK unrest: Pakistan arrests JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir in Dhirkot
Synopsis
Pakistan's arrest of JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir in PoK's Dhirkot — intercepted before he could reach a protest sit-in — has not silenced the movement; the committee says it will emerge stronger. With the JAAC already proscribed and dozens reportedly dead in ongoing unrest, Islamabad's crackdown is intensifying even as resistance shows no sign of breaking.
Key Takeaways
Shaukat Nawaz Mir , leader of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) , was arrested in Dhirkot, PoK on Tuesday before he could reach an ongoing protest sit-in.
Fellow JAAC member Saib Javed was also detained in the same operation, which reportedly involved Pakistani intelligence agencies and police.
The arrest was confirmed by Muzaffarabad Deputy Commissioner Munir Qureshi to The Express Tribune .
The JAAC, recently proscribed by Pakistani authorities, vowed the movement would 'emerge even more powerful' despite the arrests.
Unrest in PoK has claimed dozens of lives so far, with the JAAC sustaining a sit-in until its 'legitimate demands' are met.
Naseem Baloch of the Baloch National Movement condemned the crackdown, posting on X that 'oppressed nations are not subdued by prisons.'
Pakistani authorities arrested Shaukat Nawaz Mir, leader of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), from the Dhirkot area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Tuesday, as the region's ongoing unrest — which has already claimed dozens of lives — shows no sign of abating. Fellow JAAC member Saib Javed was also taken into custody in the same operation, according to the group.
How the Arrest Unfolded
Muzaffarabad Deputy Commissioner Munir Qureshi confirmed Mir's arrest to Pakistani daily The Express Tribune. The JAAC alleged that Mir was detained before he could reach an ongoing protest sit-in, claiming the operation involved a coordinated sweep by Pakistani intelligence agencies, police, and other state institutions.
'Certainly, if Shaukat Nawaz Mir had reached the sit-in, the morale of the people would have multiplied several times over... Unfortunately, it seems that during his attempt to reach the sit-in, he was arrested due to a combing operation by intelligence agencies, police, and other institutions,' the JAAC stated.
JAAC's Response: Movement Will Only Grow Stronger
Far from signalling retreat, the JAAC declared that the arrests would galvanise rather than suppress the protest movement. 'This movement will not weaken from any arrest but will emerge even more powerful than before,' the committee said in a statement.
The group also drew a distinction between leadership and the broader cause: 'This is not just Shaukat Nawaz Mir's movement, nor solely that of the core members... This is the movement of the entire public.' The JAAC has been sustaining a sit-in, pledging to continue until what it describes as its 'legitimate demands' are accepted by Pakistani authorities.
Context: JAAC Proscribed, Tensions Escalating
The arrests come after Pakistani authorities moved to ban the JAAC, a development that has further inflamed tensions across the occupied territory. The unrest in PoK has been building over grievances related to governance, economic conditions, and civil liberties — and has reportedly claimed dozens of lives so far. This is among the most sustained episodes of civil unrest the region has witnessed in recent years.
Notably, the proscription of the JAAC appears to have had the opposite of its intended effect, with protest numbers reportedly swelling rather than diminishing in the days following the ban.
Baloch National Movement Condemns Crackdown
Naseem Baloch, chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), strongly condemned the arrest of Mir, asserting that Pakistan 'only knows the language of force, arrests, and terror.' In a post on X, Baloch wrote: 'But occupied lands are not conquered by fear, and oppressed nations are not subdued by prisons.'
The convergence of voices from both PoK and Balochistan signals a broader pattern of dissent against state crackdowns on civil movements within Pakistan's administered territories. As pressure mounts on Islamabad, the international community's response — or absence of one — will be closely watched in the days ahead.
Point of View
Which is significantly harder to decapitate. The solidarity signal from the Baloch National Movement is also telling: it points to a pattern of simultaneous pressure across multiple administered territories, which Islamabad has not yet addressed with anything beyond security responses. The international silence on PoK's mounting death toll remains the most consequential omission in this story.
NationPress
1 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Shaukat Nawaz Mir and why was he arrested?
Shaukat Nawaz Mir is the leader of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil movement organisation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He was arrested by Pakistani authorities in the Dhirkot area on Tuesday, reportedly intercepted during a security operation before he could reach an ongoing protest sit-in.
What is the JAAC and what are its demands?
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) is a civil society movement in PoK that has been leading protests and sit-ins over what it describes as 'legitimate demands' related to governance, rights, and economic conditions. Pakistani authorities recently proscribed the group, though the JAAC has continued its agitation.
How serious is the unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?
The unrest in PoK has reportedly claimed dozens of lives so far and remains one of the most sustained episodes of civil disturbance in the region in recent years. Tensions escalated further after Pakistan banned the JAAC and began arresting its leadership.
What has the JAAC said following the arrests?
The JAAC declared that the arrests would strengthen rather than weaken the movement, stating that 'this movement will not weaken from any arrest but will emerge even more powerful than before.' It also confirmed that both Shaukat Nawaz Mir and fellow member Saib Javed were detained.
Who else has condemned the arrests?
Naseem Baloch, chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), condemned the arrest of Mir on X, stating that Pakistan 'only knows the language of force, arrests, and terror' and that 'oppressed nations are not subdued by prisons.'
