AZAD Kashmir, rightly considered as a base-camp for the peaceful liberation struggle of Kashmiris, is once again in the grip of unrest, which does not augur well for the cause of Kashmiri people.
According to a statement of AJK police, at least four policemen were martyred and 20 others injured after fierce clashes broke out with supporters of the newly-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot on Sunday. It accused demonstrators of attacking CMH Rawalakot, maintaining that the men had been shot by firearms and shotguns, terming it outright “terrorism” and vowing not to compromise on the safety of citizens and public peace. Additionally, officials said that at least two people from among the protesters had lost their lives, while dozens were said to be injured.
Barring a tangible move to resolve the differences through discussions and dialogue, the situation is bound to escalate further as the banned organization is persisting with its plans for a protest campaign and statements of governmental leaders in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan convey a firm message of upholding the writ of the state in the face of what they describe as black-mailing tactics by the banned outfit, accusing it of advancing the cause of the enemy. Similar protests were held last year as well in which precious lives were lost but in the end sanity prevailed and the issues were sorted out by signing of an agreement in October 2025. As per version of the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, JAAC was seeking to create unrest despite acceptance of most of its demands by the Government. A monitoring committee had also been formed to ensure implementation of all agreed points, he said, adding that the government implemented all clauses of its agreement reached with the group. The implemented parts of the understanding include provision of electricity at the highly discounted price of Rs. 3 a unit and subsidy on wheat flour and other essential commodities. Practical steps had been initiated on agreed points relating to infrastructure development, but it is understood that major projects, including tunnel construction, could not be accomplished overnight. Non-implementation of the commitments will surely be a violation but it is wrong to take the law into one’s own hands every now and then and issue provocative statements that are termed as sheer blackmailing. In fact, the fate of 12 seats of Jammu and Kashmir refugees in Pakistan has become a bone of contention and the issue has assumed significance and immediacy in view of forthcoming elections of the AJK Legislative Assembly. JAAC demands abolition of these seats alleging that these are used to manipulate the government formation in Azad Kashmir. Two demands – voting rights for overseas Kashmiris and abolition of these 12 seats – are considered either impracticable or an attempt to undermine the Kashmir cause. The very decision of the AJK Government to declare JAAC a proscribed organization under anti-terrorism law is an indication that the authorities were no more ready to talk to a group that keeps on increasing the number of demands and tries to dictate its terms through pressure tactics. The hands of the Government have been strengthened by the verdict of the AJK Supreme Court, which ruled that the region’s 12 refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be changed through administrative action. More importantly, it opined “Any demand seeking abolition of any constitutional provision through coercion, brute force, threats of mass public obstruction, or other extra-constitutional means is devoid of constitutional sanction, legally unenforceable and wholly incompatible with the principles of constitutional supremacy and the rule of law embodied in Articles 33 and 57 of the Constitution”. Under these circumstances, the Government is unlikely to compromise on this demand but any attempt to resolve the issue through administrative means is fraught with serious risks. The PPP is ruling the territory and its leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has declared his intention to take up the issue with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a bid to seek a negotiated solution. This should be the preferred choice but for this to happen JAAC too will have to climb down over demands seen as humiliating.
