Seven individuals, including Advocate Ehsan Ali, chairman of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) Pak-occupied-Gilgit-Baltistan, have been listed under Schedule Four, a designation for individuals deemed to be involved in proscribed activities. The list also includes controversial figures such as former Minister for Local Government Didar Ali, Maulana Faraz Haidari of the United Religious Front, and Syed Hassan Shah Kazmi, who have been removed from Schedule Four.
The Awami Action Committee, an alliance of political and religious parties as well as traders’ unions, is known for its peaceful protests against the occupying Army. The AAC has been vocal in its criticism of the region’s rising electricity bills, inadequate infrastructure in health and education, soaring wheat prices, and rampant corruption, which has led to high unemployment rates among the youth.
The residents of POGB have been critical of the occupying forces for exploiting local land and water resources for electricity while failing to address their basic needs.
Despite their non-violent approach, the AAC and its leaders have faced repression from the occupying authorities, who are exploiting the region for their own gain while oppressing the sons of the soil.