Muzaffarabad: A second round of negotiations between the federal government’s high-level delegation and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was held in the AJK capital on Friday as efforts continued to defuse the unrest that has gripped the region for more than a week.
Talks collapsed last week after the JAAC and government teams failed to reach an agreement on issues such as elite privileges and reserved refugee seats. What began as a peaceful protest movement soon turned violent as rival groups clashed with law enforcers. At least ten people have been killed and scores critically injured in fierce confrontations across Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry confirmed on X that a second round of talks was underway in Muzaffarabad. He said most of the JAAC’s demands had already been accepted while the remaining few required constitutional amendments. “We fully support the rights of the people of Kashmir,” he noted, adding that violence could never be a solution and that dialogue remained the only way forward.
He also highlighted the composition of the government team which includes PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf, Senator Rana Sanaullah, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf, Adviser to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, Masood Ahmed, Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam, and Chaudhry himself.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already directed the committee to find an immediate and lasting solution to the crisis, expressing deep concern over the deteriorating situation. Meanwhile, life across AJK has been paralyzed by a shutter-down strike and a communications blackout since the start of the week.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed alarm at the ongoing violence, reporting that at least nine people including three police officers have been killed and hundreds injured. The commission strongly condemned the use of excessive force and the communication blackouts, stressing that the right to peaceful protest must be upheld.
HRCP urged both federal and AJK authorities to avoid escalation, respect fundamental rights, and commit to transparent and inclusive negotiations. It also announced plans to send a fact-finding mission to AJK soon to assess the ground situation.