Kashmir: The administration in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has announced a reward of 10 million Pakistani rupees for information leading to the arrest of four leaders of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil society group that was banned last year and has been at the forefront of recent protests in the region. The PoK Home Department issued a fresh notification on Wednesday, while police also registered a sedition case against JAAC central leader Showket Nawaz Mir over his public speeches, publications and electronic communications.

The move comes amid intensifying unrest across the region, where demonstrations have continued despite a security crackdown. According to reports, dozens of people were killed and around 200 injured during police action against protesters. Authorities have accused JAAC leaders of violating the law, while the group and its supporters argue that they are campaigning for economic relief and political reforms.

The JAAC's 38-point agenda includes demands for subsidised flour and electricity, reduced taxation, and the abolition of 12 reserved legislative seats allocated to refugees from Kashmir who settled in Pakistan after 1947. The organisation alleges that these seats have been used by major Pakistani political parties to influence government formation in Muzaffarabad.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has criticised Pakistan's response, condemning the ban on JAAC and the broader crackdown on dissent. Amnesty also raised concerns over restrictions imposed on internet and mobile services, movement controls and the deployment of federal paramilitary forces ahead of regional elections scheduled for July 27.

The protests gained momentum after authorities formally outlawed JAAC, a grassroots movement that has built support by highlighting issues such as inflation, electricity tariffs, taxation policies and what supporters describe as the political marginalisation of the region. The organisation had planned protest marches to press the government to implement its reform agenda before the ban was imposed.

Meanwhile, India has reiterated its position that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir remains territory that has been "illegally and forcibly" occupied by Pakistan and has lodged protests regarding recent developments in the region.