QUETTA, BALOCHISTAN: The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has strongly condemned the Pakistani government’s decision to proscribe the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), describing the ban as a direct attack on peaceful political movements and a clear message to the people of Kashmir that political dissent and democratic voices will no longer be tolerated.
In a detailed statement issued by the committee, the BYC said the decision reflects the state’s unwillingness to engage with the concerns, aspirations, and demands of the people through democratic and political means.
“The proscription of JAAC cannot silence the voice of the people,” the committee said. “Banning a peaceful political movement does not eliminate the concerns and aspirations of the people it represents.”
The BYC noted that the ban on JAAC is not an isolated incident. Prior to this, the Pakistani state also proscribed the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a movement that similarly sought to raise political and social issues through peaceful public mobilization.
The committee argued that such actions reflect a growing and deliberate pattern of suppressing political voices rather than addressing the legitimate grievances they represent. It warned that in a state where even the most basic freedoms are increasingly under threat, the space for political participation and free expression is rapidly shrinking.
The BYC called upon citizens across Pakistan, including political parties, civil society organizations, students, workers and all democratic forces, to raise their voices against what it described as a serious injustice.
“The defense of freedom of expression, political participation and democratic rights is a collective responsibility,” the statement read. “We must stand together against every attempt to silence peaceful political movements before it is too late.”
The committee further warned that if these attacks on fundamental rights continue unchecked, they will ultimately threaten the freedoms of all people across the country, regardless of their political affiliation or regional identity.
Concluding its statement, the BYC emphasized that the voices of the people of Kashmir, like those of all oppressed peoples, cannot be silenced through bans, coercion, or authoritarian measures.
“The proscription of JAAC cannot erase the people’s voice,” the committee said. “It can only deepen the demand for justice, dignity, and democratic rights.”
