JAAC defers march for a week after back-channel talks

The proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has deferred its planned long march on Muzaffarabad by one week, a decision reached after back-channel talks involving influential intermediaries raised hopes for a negotiated settlement. This move comes amid a tense standoff, though fears of widespread violence did not materialize, with no untoward incidents reported from the troubled districts of Poonch and Sudhnoti.

Thousands of people, including women and children, had gathered at Rawalakot’s Eidgah Ground in anticipation of the march. A smaller crowd also assembled elsewhere, underscoring the significant public engagement with the JAAC's planned protest. The committee indicated that its decision to bypass official channels and contact the army chief directly stemmed from concerns that their issues were not being adequately addressed through established governmental routes.

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JAAC says it wrote to army chief after concerns failed to reach him through official channels

Official and political sources confirmed the gathering of crowds, highlighting the public's readiness to participate in the demonstration. Meanwhile, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) home secretary noted that coordinated campaigns on social media aimed to incite people, suggesting a complex information environment surrounding the protest. Life remained largely normal across the rest of AJK despite the heightened political activity.

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AJK home secretary says coordinated campaigns carried out on social media to incite people