MUZAFFARABAD – Behind-the-scenes negotiations temporarily averted a potentially volatile confrontation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) announcing a planned long march on Muzaffarabad after hours of talks involving influential intermediaries, but mentioned the Army Chief and representative in the letter, which prompted officials to clear the air on this.
As JAAC’s letter got under the spotlight, Qamar Raza denied that Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir tasked him for holding talks with the banned party. The state’s position remains unequivocal. and it does not recognise the group or its leadership as representatives of people of Azad Kashmir.
Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Chairman Syed Qamar Raza now publicly responded to claims circulating on JAAC-linked social media platforms, insisting that his role has been misrepresented. In a detailed clarification, Raza said his engagement with JAAC was a personal initiative undertaken solely to prevent violence and encourage dialogue. He maintained that, as Chairman of the OPF, his foremost responsibility is the welfare of overseas Pakistanis and addressing their concerns, adding that his outreach was motivated by a desire to restore peace rather than seek publicity.
According to Raza, most participants welcomed the proposal for negotiations, although he alleged that certain elements later attempted to distort the purpose of the initiative for political and media gains. He stressed that he acted in his official capacity and remained committed to pursuing peaceful solutions in the national interest.
The breakthrough came after nearly three hours of negotiations between senior JAAC representatives and a mediation team comprising OPF Chairman Syed Qamar Raza, Chaudhry Zafar Anwar, and Chaudhry Arif of Chakswari, Mirpur. The meeting followed two earlier rounds of back-channel contacts initiated on Sunday and continued late Tuesday.
According to official and political sources, negotiators reached broad consensus on most of the key issues under discussion, with only a handful of unresolved matters remaining before a formal understanding could be finalized. If those outstanding issues are settled, the ongoing sit-in is expected to conclude.
The mediation process also included respected Poonch figures Sardar Amin and Shazib Shabbir, who reportedly met AJK Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Tuesday night and urged him to play a more active role in resolving the crisis.
Government officials indicated that the administration was prepared to take additional confidence-building measures aimed at restoring peace and expressed hope that all stakeholders would reciprocate with seriousness and restraint.
Despite large crowds assembling in anticipation of the march, tensions eased as negotiations progressed. Thousands of supporters, including women and children, gathered at Eidgah Ground in Rawalakot, while another group assembled at the Mutyalmera bus terminal. However, participants remained at their respective locations while talks continued behind closed doors.
Addressing supporters after the negotiations, JAAC leader Umar Nazir Kashmiri announced that the planned long march had been postponed for one week. He clarified that protest sit-ins would continue during this period while negotiations moved forward. “We hope that the issues agreed upon in principle will be resolved amicably during this period,” he told supporters.
As negotiations continued, the AJK government adopted a firm stance against the proscribed organization. AJK Home Secretary Chaudhry Guftar Hussain accused JAAC of conducting coordinated propaganda campaigns based on what he described as baseless allegations intended to incite public sentiment against the state.
He further alleged that the organization’s leadership had used women and children as human shields after failing to honor previous commitments. Calling the practice unethical and contrary to Kashmiri values, Hussain also criticized what he said were attempts to draw students away from their education, warning that such actions placed their future at risk.
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