Fazl tells govt to wake up to AJK crisis

Calls for reconciliation over use of force

ISLAMABAD:

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday urged the government to recognise the gravity of the protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and pursue reconciliation to resolve the issue.

"The government must realise the seriousness of the situation. Our state institutions and state authorities must also recognise it. Instead of staining our home with blood, they should strive to make it flourish. I appeal to them to seriously consider our request, pursue reconciliation and move forward towards resolving the issue," Fazl said in a video message posted on the party's X account.

The statement came after clashes were reported between law enforcement personnel and the proscribed JAAC protesters in Rawalakot, with reports of multiple deaths and injuries circulating on social media. Both security forces and the JAAC claimed the loss of lives.

Fazl said the JAAC's sit-in had continued for more than two months and recalled that after tensions escalated on June 5, the committee had approached him in writing to act as a mediator between the protesters and the government.

He said the committee had placed its trust in him and he accepted the request, maintaining contact through JUI-F AJK chief Maulana Saeed Yousaf Khan and Sardar Kamran Azam Khan.

According to Fazl, while the committee showed confidence in his mediation efforts, the government did not give them due importance and remained unwilling to pursue a political solution, instead insisting on suppressing the movement through force.

Fazl said people expected their government and the state to treat them "like a mother", but instead had lived under constant fear. "Mothers, sisters and children have been living in fear day and night, yet the rulers have shown no concern," he said. He alleged that the government had used force against unarmed protesters, claiming that "to the best of my knowledge, the number of martyrs has reached 80", and accused the authorities of showing no mercy towards the people of AJK.