The eight-member committee, dispatched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, comprises federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Amir Muqam, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Rana Sanaullah and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, along with PPP leaders Raja Pervez Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira, and former AJK president Sardar Masood Khan.
They were accompanied by AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, who had been staying at Kashmir House in Islamabad for the past several days.
Negotiations began in the committee room of the Chief Secretary’s office in the afternoon, with Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Raja Amjad Ali Khan and Anjum Zaman Awan from the Muzaffarabad division representing the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), which has been spearheading the rights movement in the territory.
However, core members from the other two divisions — Poonch and Mirpur — could not immediately join the negotiations as they were away from the capital.
Sources said the Muzaffarabad trio, along with other core members, later left for Dhirkot, where their colleagues from Poonch and Mirpur had already gathered for consultations. The meeting continued until late in the night on Thursday and talks with the government’s high-level committee were expected to resume on Friday morning.
A strike has paralysed Azad Jammu and Kashmir under a communications blackout after talks over elite privileges and reserved refugee seats collapsed between the JKJAAC, the AJK government and federal ministers, sparking protests and violence. On Wednesday, the AJK prime minister and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry invited the alliance for fresh dialogue.
On Thursday, the entire region observed a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike for the fourth consecutive day, under a ceaseless communications blackout imposed since Monday. No fresh incidents of violence were reported.
Though government offices and banks technically remained open, attendance was negligible. Interestingly, many government officials avoided using official vehicles for commuting and instead preferred to walk or use rented motorcycles.
Before the delegation left for AJK capital Muzaffarabad, members of the government negotiating committee spoke to the media in Islamabad and stressed the need for dialogue to end the unrest that has gripped AJK for the past three days, Dawn.com reported.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government should play its role to address the issues in AJK. However, he added that given the present situation in the region and the world, some “elements would want to disturb peace and stability in Pakistan to push forward their agendas”.
He said the government remained committed to resolving the issues of the people of AJK, but they should also be mindful that no such situation was being created, which “Pakistan’s enemies” could take advantage of.
AJK PM Haq thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz for issuing directives for sending a “high-level delegation” for restarting talks in the region and expressed the hope that members of the JKJAAC would also work towards ending the impasse in negotiations between the two sides.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said, “We are all saddened and concerned over the situation. We will try our best to fulfil the just demands of the people of Kashmir and steer them out of the current situation at the earliest as the enemies of Pakistan and Kashmir would have their own objectives.”
Rana Sanaullah also emphasised that “violence is not the solution” to any problem. He said they aimed to resolve the matters in accordance with the law and Constitution, ensuring the restoration and maintenance of peace.
Amir Muqam also thanked PM Shehbaz for addressing the issue. “We want the protest and the difficulties of the people of Kashmir to end. We hope that [JKJAAC] members would consider this … and engage with us for talks.”
Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also shared similar views. The Ministry of Interior also convened an important meeting in Islamabad on Thursday to consider steps to defuse the situation
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on X earlier on Thursday, PM Shehbaz had directed the negotiation committee to immediately proceed to Muzaffarabad.
According to the statement, the prime minister voiced deep concern over the law and order situation in AJK as Wednesday’s violent protests left three policemen dead. He urged citizens to remain peaceful and instructed law enforcement agencies to show restraint.
“The prime minister has made a strong appeal to citizens to remain peaceful. He has urged that peaceful protest is the constitutional and democratic right of every citizen, but protesters should refrain from causing harm to public order.”
The premier also directed that law enforcement agencies exercise restraint and patience with the protesters.
“The prime minister has said that respect for public sentiments must be ensured, and any unnecessary harshness should be avoided,” the statement said, adding that the government was always ready to address the issues of its Kashmiri brothers.
Expressing “deep concern over the unfortunate incidents during the protests”, the premier ordered a transparent investigation into the matter
Earlier in the day, hundreds of people gathered at Khurshid Football Stadium and the AJK capital’s famous Lala Chowk to attend the funerals of two people killed in an alleged police firing in Muzaffarabad.
Addressing the mourners, Mr Mir of JKJAAC updated the crowd on the latest developments, vowing that the struggle would continue until the acceptance of key demands.
These include the abolition of 12 refugee seats, withdrawal of elite privileges, implementation of a June 2019 High Court decision regarding agreements on power projects in AJK, and provision of health cards.
He stressed that before discussing these issues, the alliance would demand the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those responsible for killing “unarmed protesters” in Muzaffarabad, Dhirkot and other areas of AJK.
He also sought a public mandate to engage in negotiations with the official committee, pledging that there would be no compromise on people’s rights.
Reports from Kohala, a border town about 35km away, said that thousands of people from AJK’s southern districts had reached there by evening.
A source told Dawn that JKJAAC leaders had directed the crowd to wait in Kohala until further instructions after the conclusion of their consultations.