Confusion Surrounds Unconfirmed Detention of JAAC Leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir

MUZAFFARABAD – On Tuesday, confusion surrounded reports that JAAC core leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir had been arrested, as activists asserted his detention while officials declined to confirm it.

Mir, a resident of Muzaffarabad, is one of four JAAC core leaders for whom the government has placed a Rs10 million bounty. He also faces sedition charges and has evaded arrest since the reward was announced.

Initial reports of Mir’s alleged arrest emerged on social media, with JAAC activists saying he was detained in the Dhirkot subdivision of Bagh district.

Police sources said officers conducted a search in the area where Mir was believed to be hiding and took him into custody near Airan Nullah on Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities added that two other suspects were detained with him, while the manhunt for the remaining JAAC leaders, Sohaib Javed and Hafeez Hamdani, remains ongoing.

However, none of the officials were willing to go on the record to confirm the development.

Other media outlets reported the arrest, attributing it to Muzaffarabad Deputy Commissioner Munir Ahmed Qureshi. Dawn, however, could not reach Qureshi despite repeated attempts.

In the absence of official confirmation, police set up barricades on the main road in Mir’s neighbourhood in Muzaffarabad. An uneasy calm settled over parts of the city, with many businesses remaining closed as a precaution.

Officials, however, said there was no law‑and‑order situation in the state capital.

Mir, 52, rose to prominence more than five years ago when he was elected president of Muzaffarabad’s traders’ association under the “one shop, one vote” system, representing nearly 10,000 shopkeepers.

During the JAAC’s protest movement, he emerged as one of its most prominent leaders and became a primary spokesperson.

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