ISLAMABAD/MUZAFFARABAD: Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday that a consensus had been reached with the Jammu Kashmir Awami Action Committee (JKAAC) on an agreement, and both sides were currently reviewing the draft.
Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the minister -- a member of the government’s negotiation committee — said the agreement would be signed soon, terming it a victory for Pakistan, the people of Azad Kashmir, and democracy.
“A permanent committee has been constituted under the supervision of the Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Amir Muqam,” he said, adding that the committee will meet every 15 days to review the implementation of the demands. Responding to a question regarding the action committee’s demand to end reserved seats for refugees, Iqbal said that a committee of constitutional experts would be formed, which would review all aspects and make a decision.
“The decision taken after the review will be accepted by everyone,” he said, adding that this was a constitutional matter and “there will be no haste in it.”
His statement hours came after second round of negotiations between the awami action committee and a government-appointed negotiation team resumed in Muzaffarabad.
The talks resumed between the delegation sent on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and representatives of the public action committee shortly after Friday prayers. The action committee has been organising protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which turned violent and claimed the lives of at least nine people, three of them were police personnel, and injured over 100. The region is witnessing an overwhelming shutdown and wheeljam strike amid intermittent skirmishes between law enforcers and activists in the state capital, Muzaffarabad. The JKAAC had issued a 38-point charter of demands, including ending 12 reserved seats for refugees and rolling back “privileges of the elite”, according to The News.
Participants from the government side included Federal Ministers Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Amir Muqam, and Ahsan Iqbal, while Raja Pervez Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Rana Sanaullah, and others were also present.
Core members of the action committee, including Sardar Masood Khan and Sardar Yousaf, took part in the discussions.
The action committee members demanded restoration of internet services, and officials said final consultations on the remaining demands will take place during the negotiations.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Chaudhry said they fully support the rights of the Kashmiri people and noted that most demands judged to be in the public interest have already been accepted. He added that a few outstanding requests require constitutional amendments and are therefore subject to further discussion.
Chaudhry emphasised that violence is not a solution and expressed hope that the action committee will resolve outstanding issues through peaceful dialogue.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarrar addressed legal and constitutional considerations connected to the talks.
He pointed out that voters in the 12 constituencies allocated to AJK originate from Kashmir, that their affiliation to Kashmir endures despite displacement, and that any change should not abruptly sever those ties.
He emphasised the need for a comprehensive constitutional package and broad political consensus with the inclusion of all Kashmir leadership. Tarar warned against hasty decisions on constitutional amendments and fundamental rights, noting numerous legal complexities and potential social and political consequences.
He observed that there is no provision for a referendum in the Kashmir constitution and argued that hurried measures could damage the Kashmir cause.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said that the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) freely enjoy their civil and political rights and actively participate in shaping their democratic future.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to upholding their dignity, safeguarding their rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and protest, respecting their sentiments, and advancing their socio-economic development. This commitment reflects not only our constitutional responsibility but also our enduring moral obligation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
In stark contrast, our brothers and sisters in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continue to face a grim reality under occupation. The use of brute force, denial of fundamental freedoms, and systematic and grave human rights violations have become the hallmark of India’s state-sponsored terrorism against the innocent Kashmiri people to suppress their just struggle. Efforts to silence dissent, demographic engineering, and the denial of civil liberties underscore the severity of the situation,” the statement said.
Rather than casting unwarranted aspersions on AJK, India must reckon with its obligations under international law and the UN Charter. India must respect the inalienable rights of the Kashmiri people, most importantly their fundamental right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. Pakistan believes that the path to lasting peace and stability in South Asia lies in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
