Centre-JAAC talks end without success; June 9 strike to go ahead

Marathon talks between a federal ministerial team and the core leadership of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir ended late Saturday night without a breakthrough. Consequently, the JAAC announced its planned June 9 strike would proceed as scheduled, heightening concerns over political stability in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) ahead of general elections expected in late July.

The extensive dialogue, aimed at persuading the JAAC to withdraw its strike call and resolve differences over its charter of demands, lasted over nine hours with intermittent breaks. "Today, we held talks with the representatives of the governments of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir throughout the day on all issues, including the 12 refugee seats," JAAC core member Shaukat Nawaz Mir told reporters after the talks concluded. "Despite the breach of trust, we had detailed discussions, and proposals were exchanged as well," he added, noting that government representatives had requested a postponement of the strike. "But we have decided to keep our strike call intact," Mir stated, though he affirmed the JAAC remained open to future engagement.

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Today, we held talks with the representatives of the governments of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir throughout the day on all issues, including the 12 refugee seats. Despite the breach of trust, we had detailed discussions, and proposals were exchanged as well.

The negotiations assumed critical importance amid growing fears that sustained agitation could disrupt preparations for the upcoming AJK general elections. Political observers believe that ongoing unrest could complicate the polling process, even though the election schedule has not yet been announced. The federal delegation included prominent figures such as cabinet ministers Rana Sanaullah, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and Ahsan Iqbal from the PML-N, along with former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and former minister Qamar Zaman Kaira representing the PPP. AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore also participated.

Discussions covered 37 out of the 38 points in the JAAC's charter of demands. However, the sole unresolved and most contentious issue remains the abolition of 12 legislative assembly seats specifically reserved for Pakistan-based refugees originating from Indian-held Kashmir. These refugee seats have become the principal stumbling block in the negotiations, with the PML-N's AJK chapter reportedly opposing their removal.

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But we have decided to keep our strike call intact.