Pakistan, March 12 -- Pakistan has strongly condemned India's decision to ban the Awami Action Committee and Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen for five years. This move increases the number of banned Kashmiri political groups to 16, raising concerns over India's crackdown in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office criticized the ban, calling it an attempt to suppress political dissent and silence Kashmiri leaders. The Awami Action Committee, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen, founded by Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari, have played key roles in Kashmir's political landscape.

Pakistan urged India to lift restrictions, release political priso...