Arrest of Mujtaba Banday Ignites Protests Across Borders

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By Waheeda Jammu Kashmiri

In a dramatic escalation of student-led resistance in Pakistani-administered Jammu Kashmir, the arrest of Khawaja Mujtaba Banday, the Central President of the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF), has ignited a wave of protests across Kashmir, Pakistan, and even overseas. Banday’s detention—first on 21 February, followed by a brief release on bail on 22 February, and a subsequent rearrest on 23 February—has become a potent symbol of state oppression and the struggle for democratic rights in the region.

A Legacy of Harassment and Resistance

For over two years, authorities in Muzaffarabad have registered 17 FIRs against activists associated with the JKNSF and the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP). Prominent figures such as Saddam Wani, Saad Dar, Mudassir Chishti, Raja Kaifi, and others have faced repeated legal harassment. Activists argue that these cases, often reopened following any student-led activity or protest, are designed solely to intimidate a rising generation that proudly proclaims:

“This land is ours, we will fight for it, and we will govern it ourselves.”

On February 18, the death anniversary of Kashmiri nationalist leader Maqbool Butt, a program was organized by the JKNSF and JKNAP. After the program, an FIR was filed, accusing participants of raising slogans against the army and institutions.

The Protest Announcement, Arrests

On February 20, 2025, the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (NSF) President, Khawaja Mujtaba Banday, announced that a protest march would take place on February 25 to the United Nations Office in Muzaffarabad. This demonstration was a direct response to the alleged false charges filed against NSF leadership and members for commemorating Maqbool Bhat Shaheed’s anniversary. JK NAP and NSF leaders warned that if these baseless cases were not withdrawn, a larger wave of resistance would be mobilized, marking the beginning of intensified demonstrations. Following this announcement, Banday was first arrested on 21 February 2025. Despite his release on bail the following day, the authorities quickly revoked his bail, rearresting him on 23 February. This rapid sequence of events underscores the state’s unyielding determination to crush dissent.

The situation deteriorated further on 5 March when Banday was forced to appear for an exam at the University of Muzaffarabad in handcuffs. Escorted by an officer holding him by a chain and flanked by armed policemen, the incident became a stark visual representation of state intimidation and the erosion of basic human rights in the region.

Protests Across the Region

The arrest has triggered an unprecedented outpouring of resistance:

Muzaffarabad and Jamia Kashmir (27 February):

In a bold move, students at Jamia Kashmir blocked the car of the local commissioner in Muzaffarabad, demanding Banday’s immediate release.

Rawalakot, Hajira, Mirpur, and Kotli (28 February):

Multiple cities witnessed coordinated demonstrations. In Rawalakot, protest rallies were held at the Post Graduate College with impassioned speeches by JKNSF leaders such as Secretary-General Mohsin Aziz. In Hajira, senior figures including deputy president Adeeba Jameel and central leader Malik Ilyas decried the arrest as a result of “foreign secret agencies” manipulating the state. Similar symbolic protests unfolded in Mirpur and Kotli, where local activists chanted slogans demanding, “Mujtaba Banday, release him now”

Emergency Strategy Meeting (6 March):

An emergency cabinet meeting of the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) was convened in Muzaffarabad under the chairmanship of Sardar Niaz. With participation from JKNSF’s central secretary general Mohsin Aziz, the leaders declared that if Banday was not released by 8 March, a joint meeting of the JKNSF and JKNAP would herald a new, more robust phase of resistance.

Nakyal, Kotli (5 March):

In Nakyal, Kotli, protest organizers from JKNSF Nakyal and NAP Nakyal set up a camp at Padawah Chowk. They declared:

“Mujtaba Banday’s arrest is a disgraceful act. If NSF President Khawaja Mujtaba Banday is not released, we will break the ceasefire line on 23 March.”

International Solidarity and Diplomatic Pressure

The repercussions of Banday’s detention have not been confined to the subcontinent.

On 26 February in Birmingham, UK, activists affiliated with JKNSF and JKNAP took further diplomatic action. A memorandum was submitted at the Pakistani Consulate by the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (UK), protesting the illegal detention, alleged torture, and harassment of Banday’s family by Pakistani state institutions. The memorandum demanded that the Government of Pakistan immediately cease the filing of baseless cases, arbitrary arrests, and the violent harassment of freedom fighters and their families. It warned that if the detained leaders—including Banday—are not released promptly, protest actions would escalate, including organizing sit-ins outside the Pakistani Embassy in London along with pre-dawn meals (Sahri), Iftar gatherings during Ramadan, and public prayers. The memorandum, submitted by former National Awami Party leaders Shahid Hashmi, Khawaja Hassan, former organizer Chaudhry Shafiq Asim, and Malik Mazhar, also indicated that additional letters detailing severe human rights violations in Pakistani-administered Kashmir would be sent to international human rights organizations.

On 27^th February, Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party Canada branch issued a strong statement condemning the “illegal arrest” of Banday, decrying it as an assault on democratic values and human rights.

Voices from the Movement

A poignant open letter by Taaruf Abbas, former General Secretary of the Karakoram National Movement, captured the sentiment of the resistance. In his letter, Abbas denounced the arrest as politically motivated, calling it “an assault on free expression and the fundamental rights of the people of Jammu Kashmir and Karakoram.” He demanded:

Immediate and unconditional release of Mujtaba Banday.

An end to the systematic harassment of student and political activists.

State assurances to protect those exercising their democratic rights.

A separate press release from the Awami Workers Party of Gilgit-Baltistan echoed these sentiments. Party leaders, including Comrade Baba Jan and Comrade Asif Sakhi, slammed the arrest as a blatant violation of democratic principles and called on Pakistani authorities to reverse what they termed an “illegal and oppressive action.”

A Turning Point for Kashmiri Dissent?

The arrest of Khawaja Mujtaba Banday has become a lightning rod for opposition against what many see as a repressive, colonial-era governance system in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. With protests stretching from Muzaffarabad to Rawalakot, Hajira, Mirpur, Kotli, and even to international centers like Birmingham, the movement is gathering unprecedented momentum.

As student leaders and political activists renew their call for justice, the stakes could not be higher. Whether the government relents or further escalates its tactics, one thing is clear: the voice of Kashmiri resistance, embodied by figures like Mujtaba Banday, is resonating more powerfully than ever. The coming days will reveal whether this spark of defiance can ignite broader change in a region long marred by political repression and contested identities.