Following a brief dispersal in the early hours of Friday, thousands of protesters have regrouped at sit-in locations near Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, demonstrating continued opposition despite government assertions of the protest’s collapse. Authorities claimed the initial dispersal occurred after negotiations with a local JAAC leader, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, facilitated by community representatives, and that protesters had “unconditionally surrendered.” The administration had imposed restrictions on access to the protest sites, particularly at Eidgah Ground, where the largest gathering was previously located. However, by Friday afternoon, protesters began returning, and numbers swelled to an estimated 5,000-6,000, including women and children, after Friday prayers. The JAAC, a proscribed organization, is reportedly seeking the withdrawal of a notification banning the group as a condition for ending the demonstrations. The resurgence of protests challenges official claims of a resolution and indicates ongoing public discontent.