Policemen among nine killed in JAAC-led violent protests

MUZAFFARABAD: The violent protests organised by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has so far claimed nine lives, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government said on Tuesday, with over 200 others injured.

The AJK government also appealed to the people to remain peaceful. It also asked the citizens to ignore the fake news spread through social media under a heinous agenda and only share reliable and authentic information.

Read more: ISPR says political system working in AJK, questions violent politics

Six of these victims were innocent citizens. The remaining three are the policemen who sacrificed their lives while performing their duties.

As far as the injured are concerned, the AJK government said around 172 police officials sustained injuries, with 12 of them in critical condition.

On the other hand, the AJK government said 50 citizens were also among injured.

The three police officials were martyred and nine others were injured in the Dhirkot area of Bagh district when armed men opened gunfire.

One of the martyred policeman, Tahir Rafi, was from Muzaffarabad district. The other two — Khursheed and Jameel — hailed from Bagh.

The family members of the martyred and injured police officials demanded that their killers should be brought to justice immediately.

In this connection, the government sources said law enforcement agencies were taking strict action against the armed men. “No armed group can be allowed to take law into its own hand,” they made it clear.

Earlier, AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq in an interview to HUM News, explained how the JAAC — a so-called civil society organisation — was exploiting the situation.

It’s a developing story. Details to follow.