Dialogue only solution to AJK crisis: JI chief

Hafiz Naeem urges govt to avoid use of force in the region

ISLAMABAD:

JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said meaningful negotiations are the only solution to the ongoing situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). He urged the government to avoid using force and immediately engage with the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (Jaac).

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, Naeem said the JI has accepted the responsibility of mediation and is playing its role in restoring trust between the government and the committee to prevent "bloodshed and unrest".

JI AJK chief Dr Mushtaq Khan, former AJK chief Dr Khalid Mahmood, JI Deputy Secretary General Syed Farasat Shah and Islamabad chief Nasrullah Randhawa were also present.

"Jaac has expressed complete confidence in the JI and postponed its long march, sending a positive message," he said. He urged the government to act seriously and begin negotiations to resolve the people's legitimate demands.

"The AJK situation should not reach a point where India could exploit it for propaganda against Pakistan and the Kashmir cause," the JI emir said.

"The JI's mediation with Jaac is within the constitutional and national framework of Pakistan and the Kashmir issue. As long as this framework remains intact, every possible effort will be made to resolve the matter," he added.

Rejecting the impression that the situation had reached a "point of no return," Hafiz Naeem said the door for negotiations was still open.

A day earlier, on Sunday, the JI chief and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman urged the government to resolve the ongoing crisis in the AJK through dialogue instead of force, warning that any action leading to bloodshed would further aggravate the situation.

Hafiz Naeem called on Fazl at his residence in Islamabad to discuss the prevailing situation in AJK. After the meeting, the two leaders addressed a joint press conference. Naeem said the developments caused concern across the country, describing the issue as highly sensitive.