'Most of AJK JAC demands accepted'

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam said on Thursday the government had accepted the bulk of demands put forward by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Azad Kashmir, following a marathon 14-hour negotiation session in Muzaffarabad.

Speaking to reporters, Muqam said he visited Muzaffarabad on the special instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to directly engage with stakeholders over the JAC's September 29 strike call. Federal Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry accompanied him during the discussions.

The talks began the other day at 3 pm and continued until 5am the following morning, involving successive rounds with a ministerial committee of the Kashmir government, the JAC's representatives, and later senior officials including the chief secretary and inspector general.

"Most of the demands that were within constitutional and legal limits and concerned the welfare of the Kashmiri people - whether linked to the federal government or the Kashmir government - have been accepted," Muqam confirmed.

The minister pointed out that the federal government was already extending significant subsidies to the region, including electricity at Rs3 per unit and flour at Rs20 per kilogramme. He recalled that last year alone, the prime minister allocated Rs23 billion as a special grant for subsidies, in addition to a 100% increase in Azad Kashmir's development budget.

However, Muqam criticised the JAC for presenting what he termed "illegal demands" towards the end of the talks, particularly the proposal to abolish 12 legislative seats reserved for refugees from Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

"Such a move would send a dangerous message - that we are disregarding the status and sacrifices of our brothers and sisters across the Line of Control," Muqam said, stressing that constitutional changes could only be pursued through elections and legislative processes.

He further expressed regret that some elements were pursuing disruptive agendas at a time when, following heightened tensions with India, the Kashmir cause had received renewed attention at the international level.

"This plays directly into India's hands," Muqam remarked. "But let me make clear: any demand that genuinely benefits the Kashmiri people will receive full support from both the federal and the Kashmir governments."

He reaffirmed that the doors for dialogue remained open, vowing to continue efforts to resolve disputes through consensus.