The protest by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had brought life in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to a standstill.
Against this backdrop, the successful outcome of negotiations between the government and JAAC is a welcome development. It is encouraging that both sides demonstrated flexibility and maturity in order to reach a consensus.
Some of the demands put forth by JAAC were not only genuine but also directly concerned with public welfare. The provision of MRI and CT scan machines in district hospitals, allocation of funds for health cards, and promise of improved electricity infrastructure reflect a serious effort to address needs of the common man. Likewise, measures to reduce government expenditures— such as limiting size of the cabinet and curbing number of administrative secretaries—are steps in the right direction and will hopefully bring better governance. It is commendable that government approached negotiations with open mind and accepted these demands. In fact it is always the effort of any sitting government to do work that brings ease in lives of the people. A particularly sensitive issue was presence of members selected from outside AJK. The decision to suspend their privileges until a high-powered committee submits its recommendations is a prudent step. It is expected that committee will approach this matter with responsibility and ensure that final decision serves long-term interests of the people of AJK. At the same time, lessons must be learned from this episode. Such situations should not be allowed to develop, as they can be exploited by hostile quarters—particularly India, which spares no opportunity to malign Pakistan. The reality remains that people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir enjoy full rights and freedom of expression—unlike those in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where voices of dissent are brutally suppressed and human rights trampled.
