A high-level government delegation on Thursday held talks with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Muzaffarabad in a bid to end the ongoing unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The move followed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directives to urgently dispatch a negotiation committee to address the escalating crisis, which has paralysed the region under a communications blackout and led to violent protests.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry confirmed the start of formal dialogue, posting pictures of the meeting on X that showed key figures including Senator Rana Sanaullah, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, PPP leaders Qamar Zaman Kaira and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and former AJK president Masood Khan.
The delegation emphasised that dialogue was the only way forward, with Rana Sanaullah and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf both underscoring that violence would only deepen the crisis.
The unrest erupted after talks collapsed between JAAC, the AJK government, and federal representatives over issues such as elite privileges and reserved refugee seats. Strikes and demonstrations turned violent earlier this week, leaving three policemen dead and prompting the government to urgently step in.
Addressing the media before leaving Islamabad, Ahsan Iqbal warned that hostile elements might exploit the unrest to destabilise Pakistan, urging protesters to remain peaceful while the government pursued solutions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also issued an appeal through the PMO, stressing that while peaceful protest is a democratic right, it must not endanger public order. He directed law enforcement agencies to show restraint and avoid unnecessary harshness, while also ensuring immediate assistance to families affected by the violence.
The prime minister further announced that the negotiation committee would be expanded to accelerate a peaceful resolution. He expressed hope that JAAC representatives would engage constructively to end the impasse, reaffirming the government’s readiness to address the grievances of the Kashmiri people through dialogue and consensus.
