ISLAMABAD: The Federal government and the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have implemented the recommendations of the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) related to health, education, bureaucracy, electricity, accountability law, migrant seats, and development.
This was stated by the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam while addressing a joint press conference along with Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and AJK’s Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Deevan Ali Khan Chughtai here on Monday.
Muqam said the government has already implemented several demands of the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee and is fully committed to implementing all agreed-upon demands in letter and spirit. He said all First Information Reports (FIRs), except for fifteen cases related to murder, have been withdrawn, while all detained protesters have been released. He further added that the AJK government has written to the Chief Justice of AJK for the constitution of a judicial commission to register FIRs against those responsible for the mayhem during the protests.
The Minister for Kashmir Affairs said the demand to restrict the AJK cabinet to twenty members has also been fulfilled. He said several departments have been merged to reduce the size of the government, and now twenty-one departments are functioning under twenty secretaries. He added that all government employees who were suspended during the protest demonstrations have been reinstated.
Regarding the establishment of the AJK Bank, Muqam said the requirements of the State Bank of Pakistan have been fulfilled, and the bank will be made operational soon. He said compensation has been paid to the families of the deceased and the injured, while jobs have also been provided to the families of those who lost their lives. He said the demand for tax collection on the pattern of Punjab has also been approved. On the issue of property transfer, he said the matter has been referred to the President, who will issue an appropriate ordinance in this regard.
Muqam further said the demand regarding the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer and board members of the Universal Service Fund has been met. He said Ishtiaq Ahmed has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the USF. He added that the AJK Government has approved two separate boards Intermediate and Secondary Education for Poonch and Muzaffarabad. He also said admissions to medical colleges will be made strictly on open merit.
The Minister said the demand related to students' organizations is under consideration at a higher level. He said water supply schemes for ten districts of Azad Kashmir have been included in the Public Sector Development Programme. He added that a tender has been floated for garbage segregation to improve solid waste management.
Talking about the health sector, Amir Muqam said the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir has announced the launch of the health card scheme for the people of Azad Kashmir by the twentieth of this month. He said funds will soon be released for the installation of MRI and CT scan machines in Azad Kashmir. He added that a development scheme worth nine hundred and ninety-eight million rupees has been approved for operation theatres and nurseries at Tehsil Headquarters hospitals.
Regarding upgrading the AJK electricity system, Amir Muqam said the AJK Government, IESCO, and the Power Division have jointly prepared a PC-1 worth ten billion rupees for this purpose. He said the demand for e-tendering for electricity meters has also been approved. He added that the issue of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project is under discussion and will be resolved soon.
On amendments to the accountability law, the Minister for Kashmir Affairs said an ordinance will be issued shortly. Regarding the issue of twelve migrant seats in the AJK Assembly, Amir Muqam said it has been decided to constitute a nine-member committee comprising three members each from the AJK Government, the Action Committee, and the Federal Government.
He said the Federal Government issued a formal notification after receiving the nominations. He added that the first meeting of the committee was held on the second of this month, but the Action Committee did not attend the session. On the establishment of an international airport at Mirpur, Amir Muqam said the Civil Aviation Authority has completed the feasibility study, and its findings will soon be made public.
He said work on the feasibility of the Kahuta-Azad Pattan Road is also underway and will be completed shortly.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry expressed regret that members of the Joint Awami Action Committee did not attend today's meeting, convened to review progress on the implementation of agreed-upon points. He said the committee boycotted the meeting over the issue of chairmanships of standing committees in the AJK Assembly being given to one or two elected members on seats reserved for migrants. He added that chairmen of these standing committees have zero perks.
Chaudhry said suspended employees during the protests have been reinstated, and compensation for affected individuals has been provided. Property transfer ordinances have been submitted to the President, USF CEO, and board appointments completed, and two educational boards have been approved. Open merit policies in medical colleges are now being implemented, while water supply projects are progressing under the agreement.
The Minister expressed disappointment over JKJAAC members’ absence from today’s scheduled monitoring meeting, calling it a setback to ongoing efforts for public welfare and development in Azad Kashmir. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry added that all details of the October 2025 agreement had previously been shared with the media, and federal oversight committees continue to monitor implementation. He reiterated that the federal government remains committed to resolving public grievances and ensuring peaceful, structured development in Azad Kashmir.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026