A high-level government delegation has initiated critical negotiations with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in an urgent bid to resolve a volatile crisis that has engulfed Azad Jammu and Kashmir, marked by violent protests and a widespread communication blackout.
The formal commencement of dialogue was confirmed on Thursday by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who announced on the social media platform X that the first round of official discussions was underway with JAAC representatives in Muzaffarabad.
The region has been gripped by turmoil for three days following the collapse of earlier talks concerning special privileges and reserved seats for refugees. The subsequent suspension of mobile and internet services by authorities intensified the agitation, leading to violent incidents across several areas.
The renewed push for a peaceful resolution came after AJK Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq and Federal Minister Chaudhry extended a fresh invitation for talks on Wednesday. The urgency was further highlighted when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grave concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, directing the negotiation team to seek a “durable and practical solution.”
The government’s committee is composed of prominent political figures, including Senator Rana Sanaullah, Federal Ministers Sardar Yousaf and Ahsan Iqbal, former AJK President Masood Khan, and PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira. Photographs from the meeting also showed the presence of other senior leaders such as Raja Pervez Ashraf and Amir Muqam.
Before departing from Islamabad, members of the delegation emphasized that dialogue was the sole path to ending the disorder. Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal cautioned that “some elements want to exploit the situation to destabilize Pakistan,” affirming the government’s commitment to addressing public grievances while thwarting any manipulation by hostile forces.
Former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf conveyed the federal government’s deep concern over the situation, pledging efforts to address the legitimate demands of the Kashmiri people. “They are part of our body; their pain is our pain. The only solution is dialogue,” he remarked.
Advisor to the Prime Minister, Senator Rana Sanaullah, underlined that “violence is no solution” and that the objective was to settle matters strictly within the constitutional and legal framework, expressing confidence that discussions would clear up all misunderstandings.
In a parallel development, the Ministry of Interior convened a separate high-level meeting in Islamabad to review security measures and strategies to contain the escalating situation in the region.