Federal minister calls for dialogue rather than confrontation as JAAC plans further protests in AJK
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry addresses a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday. SCREENSHOT
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Sunday dismissed claims that the October 3, 2025 agreement with the Awami Joint Action Committee (JAAC) had remained largely unimplemented, saying the government had fulfilled the vast majority of its commitments in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
His remarks came after the JAAC announced protests in the region on June 9, prompting the AJK government to declare the group a banned organization, accusing it of being involved in terrorism, promoting hatred and creating anarchy in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Chaudhry said the government had repeatedly sought to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue, but regretted that “false and negative propaganda” was being spread regarding the implementation status of the agreement.
Referring to demands regarding representation of Kashmiri migrants residing in Pakistan, the minister said four options had been put forward, including discussing the issue in an all-party conference comprising all registered political parties in AJK.
Dismissing claims circulating on social media that only three clauses of the agreement had been implemented, Dr Chaudhry said that as a signatory to the agreement and a participant in the negotiations held with the JAAC in October 2025, he wanted to present to the public the implementation record “clause by clause”.
According to the minister, the first engagement was the cases registered against the protesters during the protests and the long march held in September 2025. He said 177 FIRs were withdrawn through notices issued on several dates in December 2025.
He noted, however, that files relating to 14 deaths had not been withdrawn and remained confidential, while a proposal to establish a judicial commission was still under consideration.
Dr Chaudhry said government employees suspended for participating in the protests had been reinstated, while jobs had been provided to family members of deceased protesters, including the widow of one victim.
He further said that the electricity bills of beneficiaries affected by the Mangla Dam raising project have been waived and relevant notifications have already been issued.
The minister said the National Highway Authority (NHA) had carried out a feasibility study for the Khuiratta-Azad Pattan road project and submitted it to the Ministry of Communications, with details shared with the AJK government.
On other commitments, he said the procurement of electricity meters through electronic tendering had started, while steps had been taken to improve the quality of flour by sourcing from both PASSCO and local mills.
Dr Chaudhry said progress had also been made in expanding internet services through the Universal Service Fund mechanism. The legal framework has been finalized and implementation work has already started, he added.
He said waste management system had been introduced in Muzaffarabad, while development projects worth Rs 2.7 billion had been launched in nine districts.
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On local government reforms, the minister said the AJK cabinet had approved the matter and constituted a ministerial committee to pursue necessary legislative changes. He added that notifications had been issued regarding electricity tariff concessions for private schools and some commercial units.
The minister said discussions with the State Bank of Pakistan on the timeline of the Bank of Azad Jammu and Kashmir had resulted in the issuance of required notifications.
He also announced that two new federal boards have been established and notified, while distribution of assets associated with the Mirpur board is underway.
Dr Chaudhry further said that the implementation has started allocation engagements for the extended families of Mirpur district and those affected by the Mangla Dam raising project. He added that a health card scheme has already been launched for residents of AJK, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.
On health infrastructure, he said a project worth around Rs 5 billion to provide MRI machines and CT scanners to district hospitals had been approved by the relevant authorities in AJK and would be completed soon.
The minister said Rs 10 billion had been allocated under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for electrification and modernization works, which would help resolve electricity-related problems in the region.
He claimed that demands regarding reduction in size of AJK cabinet and government offices had also been met. According to him, the number of ministers has been reduced to 20, while the number of government offices has been reduced to 22.
Dr Chaudhry said an order for merger of anti-corruption and accountability institutions had been issued, while the NHA was carrying out feasibility studies for two tunnels on the Neelum Valley Road.
Read: AJK arrests 72 people in crackdown on banned group
Regarding the Mirpur airport, the minister said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered the authorities to go ahead with the project even before the JAAC increased the demand. He said feasibility work was underway, although commercial airlines had not yet shown significant interest.
The minister also cited progress in hydropower projects, bridge construction projects, tax relief measures, water supply projects and transport policy reforms. He said a proposal to grant property rights to refugees residing in Mandhol Colony in Dadyal was approved by the cabinet on Sunday.
Summing up the implementation status of the agreement, Dr Chaudhry said all clauses that could be executed through decrees or cabinet decisions had been completed. These included compensation to families of the deceased, support to injured protesters, reinstatement of employees and withdrawal of FIRs.
He argued that development projects such as roads, tunnels, airports, electrification projects and health infrastructure required longer implementation periods and could not reasonably be completed in a few months.
“Mega projects take years, whether in Azad Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere in Pakistan,” he said, adding that repeated protests and long marches against ongoing development projects were unwarranted.
The minister said the government had documentary evidence, including notifications, orders, compensation records and feasibility studies, to support its claims.
Dismissing claims that the October 3 agreement was largely unimplemented, he maintained that 35 of its 38 clauses had either been completed or substantially implemented, while the remaining provisions were either subject to court orders or constrained by practical considerations.
Dr Chaudhry urged all stakeholders to pursue dialogue rather than confrontation, stressing that violence was not a solution to political conflicts.
He warned against attempts to create unrest within AJK and questioned whether such actions served the interests of Pakistan, AJK or the broader Kashmir cause. “The solution to these problems is not violence,” he said, adding: “The solution is dialogue. We cannot allow public order to deteriorate or innocent lives to be lost.”
