JI to form peace jirga for AJK dialogue

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) announced Sunday its decision to establish a "grand" Kashmir peace jirga. This initiative aims to facilitate dialogue between the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), seeking to restore stability and normalcy in the region.

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No compromise can be made on the Kashmir issue.

The decision emerged from a meeting of the party's central Majlis-i-Shura in Lahore, chaired by JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. According to a press release, the jirga's top priorities will be restoring peace and resolving outstanding issues in AJK. Rehman formed a committee to oversee the initiative, led by JI Deputy Emir Liaqat Baloch, alongside other party officials.

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Dialogue is the only viable way to resolve the ongoing crisis and prevent further deterioration of the situation.

JI expressed "deep concern" over the ongoing unrest in AJK, cautioning that continued instability could negatively impact the broader Kashmir cause. "No compromise can be made on the Kashmir issue," the party asserted, highlighting the sacrifices made by Pakistanis and Kashmiris. Rehman urged the federal government to begin negotiations promptly to bring normalcy back to the region, stating, "Dialogue is the only viable way to resolve the ongoing crisis and prevent further deterioration of the situation."

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caring guardian by embracing aggrieved citizens instead of allowing tensions to escalate

Rehman described Kashmir as Pakistan's "jugular vein" and advised the state to act as a "caring guardian." He cautioned Pakistan against facing another internal conflict, referencing challenges in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The JI chief announced that the committee would soon visit Rawalakot to meet JAAC leaders and work towards de-escalation through dialogue. He acknowledged that some protester concerns regarding 12 reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly were legitimate but stressed that representation for refugees and the occupied territory could not be abolished. He expressed confidence that negotiations could yield a workable solution, urging the government to abandon "stubbornness and ego."

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representation of refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the occupied territory itself in the assembly could not be abolished