AJK action committee matters settled, agreement to be signed soon: Tariq Fazal Chaudhry
Members of the federal government team holds negotiations with representatives of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to resolve key issues. Photo: X
Negotiations between the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee and the federal government have finally borne fruit, with key matters settled and a final agreement expected to be signed soon.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister and member of the government’s negotiating team, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, confirmed the development in a post on X, expressing optimism about a settlement.
“Matters have been settled with the Action Committee of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The final agreement is expected to be signed soon. The last round of negotiations is underway. Public interest and peace are our priorities,” Chaudhry said.
ایکشن کمیٹی آزاد جموں و کشمیر (AJK) سے معاملات طے پا گئے ہیں۔ جلد حتمی معاہدے پر دستخط متوقع ہیں۔ مذاکرات کا آخری دور جاری ہے۔ عوامی مفادات اور امن ہماری ترجیح ہیں۔
Meanwhile, Planning Minister and member of the government’s negotiation team, Ahsan Iqbal, said that consensus had nearly been reached with members of the JAAC. “Both sides are working on the final draft of the agreement, which is expected to be signed shortly,” he added.
Speaking to a private news channel on Friday, the minister praised the JAAC leadership for negotiating in a “great spirit,” noting that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had instructed the team to address all the committee’s legitimate demands in line with the government’s commitment to AJK.
He added that governance issues were being handled in accordance with public sentiment, “especially as young people are very sensitive to such matters.” He added that all recommendations of the JAAC had been accepted to ensure that good governance prevails.
Read More: Nine killed as Awami Action Committee protest turns violent in Azad Kashmir
Iqbal further said that a permanent committee has been formed to prevent any similar situation in the future. The committee will function under the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, convene meetings every fortnight, and review the implementation framework in accordance with the agreement, ensuring that the consensus reached is fully implemented and not ignored.
On the issue of immigrant’s seats, Iqbal said it carries constitutional and international significance in the context of Kashmir. He added that a committee of constitutional and legal experts will be established to review all aspects of the matter, and all parties have agreed to accept the decisions made accordingly.
Earlier in the day, Chaudhry had announced that the second round of talks between the government’s delegation — dispatched to Muzaffarabad on the instructions of PM Shehbaz — and JAAC representatives was in progress.
مظفرآباد میں وزیراعظم پاکستان میاں محمد شہباز شریف کی ہدایت پر بھیجی گئی ہماری مذاکراتی ٹیم اور جوائنٹ ایکشن کمیٹی آزاد جموں و کشمیر کے نمائندگان کے درمیان مذاکرات کا دوسرا دور اب شروع ہو گیا ہے۔
ہم کشمیری عوام کے حقوق کے مکمل حامی ہیں۔ اُن کے زیادہ تر مطالبات، جو عوامی مفاد میں… pic.twitter.com/8tsQXea0EaHe said the government stood firmly behind the rights of the Kashmiri people, noting that most of their demands, particularly those in the public interest, had already been accepted. “The remaining few demands, which require constitutional amendments, are under discussion,” he added.
The minister stressed that violence was not a solution to any problem and expressed hope that the JAAC would continue to pursue its objectives through peaceful dialogue.
The government’s negotiating team comprised Federal Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Yousuf, Amir Muqam, and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, alongside Pakistan Peoples Party leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and former AJK president Sardar Masood Khan.
The official negotiation committee of the AJK government also participated in the talks. The JAAC delegation was represented by Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Raja Amjad Advocate, and Anjum Zaman.
Also Read: Govt opens dialogue to defuse AJK crisis
AJK is paralysed by a protest strike called by the JAAC to press for its various demands. On Wednesday, violence erupted between protesters and police at several locations, leaving at least nine people dead — including three policemen — according to the AJK government.
The AJK prime minister, along with Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, addressed a joint press conference on Wednesday, urging JAAC to engage in dialogue. They warned that violence would resolve nothing and only lead to further bloodshed.
To defuse tensions, Shehbaz dispatched a high-level negotiation committee tasked with seeking both immediate and long-term solutions.
The committee held the first round of talks on Thursday, but despite high-level efforts to defuse the crisis, the negotiations were temporarily stalled, before resuming for a second round on Friday.