ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Sunday alleged that the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was attempting to create unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) despite the government’s acceptance and implementation of most of its demands.
Addressing a news conference alongside political leaders from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in Islamabad, the minister said that elections in AJK would be held on July 27 as scheduled, adding that certain elements were attempting to undermine the electoral process and disrupt law and order in the region.
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He alleged that some groups were trying to create conditions that could affect peace and stability and revive the kind of violent protests witnessed in the past.
The minister recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a high-level committee to hold negotiations with the JAAC. He maintained that both the federal and AJK governments wanted a negotiated settlement of issues through dialogue.
According to Dr Chaudhry, during talks held on May 30, the group’s principal demand was the abolition of the 12 seats reserved in the AJK Legislative Assembly for refugees residing in Pakistan. He said the government proposed four options, including convening an all-parties conference, debating the issue in the Legislative Assembly, seeking guidance from the Supreme Court of AJK, and postponing the June 9 protest call for a few days. However, he said the proposals were not accepted and the JAAC insisted on proceeding with its planned march on June 9.
Referring to the demand for the abolition of the refugee seats, he said the courts had made it clear that these constitutional seats could not be abolished without the required legislation. The AJK Legislative Assembly has 12 seats reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.
During the press conference, Chaudhry highlighted ongoing welfare and development initiatives in AJK, saying electricity was being provided to the region at Rs3 per unit, while subsidies were also being extended on flour and other essential commodities.
He said the government had honoured its commitments to the families of those martyred and injured during previous protests, adding that 170 cases registered during the demonstrations had also been withdrawn, except for nine cases.
The minister said practical steps had been initiated on agreed points relating to infrastructure development, but noted that major projects, including tunnel construction, could not be completed overnight. He added that local employment opportunities would be ensured in development projects.
He stressed that repeated protests were not an appropriate approach for implementing medium- and long-term development plans and reiterated that dialogue remained the only effective means of resolving disputes.
Dr Chaudhry also questioned whether attempts to create instability in AJK were aimed at portraying AJK and Pakistan as separate entities, weakening their longstanding relationship, distancing the people of AJK from refugees of IIOJK, or undermining the Kashmir cause.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued support for the Kashmir cause and the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people, warning that any effort to create unrest in AJK could be exploited by Pakistan’s adversaries.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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