MUZAFFARABAD – Amid weeks of escalating unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on Wednesday announced the suspension of its long march, claiming it had received assurances from powerful quarters that its demands would be addressed through dialogue.
The committee, however, made it clear that while the long march had been halted to avoid further bloodshed, all ongoing peaceful sit-ins across the region would continue.
In a statement issued from Rawalakot, JAAC said it was “placing its case in the hands of Field Marshal Asim Munir’s sense of justice” after sending him a detailed letter on July 13 outlining developments since June 5. According to the committee, the letter was received on July 14, prompting the appointment of Syed Qamar Raza, Chairman of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, as special representative to engage with JAAC leaders.
The committee said extensive talks were held with Qamar Raza, who urged protesters to suspend the march and assured them that their grievances would soon be addressed through negotiations. The announcement follows days of heightened tensions that have gripped the region and comes after violence claimed the life of a Rangers soldier. Police and state media allege the soldier was killed by armed individuals linked to the now-banned JAAC, an accusation the organization rejects.
The unrest intensified just days before legislative assembly elections, placing authorities under mounting pressure to restore stability. While JAAC originally emerged as a movement demanding lower electricity prices, improved governance, and greater economic rights, its campaign has increasingly focused on abolishing reserved assembly seats allocated to refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir.
JAAC argues that these reserved seats allow political parties based in Pakistan to exert undue influence over government formation in the region. The government, however, designated the organization as a banned outfit last month, accusing it of involvement in violent activities—a charge the committee strongly denies.
Amid the escalating political crisis, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned that the prolonged unrest risks damaging both Pakistan’s international standing and its long-standing position on the Kashmir issue. Addressing party candidates and officials in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal described the situation as “extremely concerning,” urging restraint from all sides.
“If anyone uses inappropriate language against the people of Kashmir, it deeply saddens us,” he said. “And if anyone speaks against our armed forces, that is something we will never tolerate.”
Bilawal cautioned that hostile actors were seeking opportunities to exploit Pakistan’s internal challenges and urged politicians, activists, protesters, and citizens alike to exercise restraint in both words and actions.
Rangers personnel martyred, several injured in JAAC Attacks in Azad Kashmir
