Rawalakot Protest: Fazl Ur Rehman Urges Banned JAAC to Give More Time for Dialogue

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has appealed to the banned Awami Action Committee to hold off on any further action for a few days, asking for time to let ongoing mediation efforts produce results. In a message addressed to the committee, he noted its sit-in protest has continued for a month in Rawalakot and surrounding areas, with the group pressing the government to accept its demands.

Fazlur Rehman acknowledged that some unfortunate incidents occurred during the standoff, creating bitterness in an already tense environment. He said the protest and the committee’s demands have since been raised in parliament, and that the committee itself asked him to step in as a mediator — a role he said he accepted gratefully given the trust placed in him.

His account of the mediation process points to a layered effort involving multiple local figures. He said Maulana Saeed Yousuf Khan of JUI Azad Jammu and Kashmir stayed in contact with him throughout, as did Rawalakot tribal figure Kamran Azam Khan. Rehman said he deliberately avoided announcing next steps publicly while talks with both the government and the action committee were still underway.

The mediation effort extends beyond JUI-F alone. Rehman said he spoke with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is currently in Muzaffarabad, continuing contact from a meeting roughly ten days earlier. According to Rehman, Bhutto described his own ongoing efforts with the government but has not yet reached a conclusive outcome. Bhutto reportedly told him he wants to avoid bloodshed and unrest, and is working toward a negotiated resolution — but needs more time to continue talks with the government.

The overlapping involvement of JUI-F and PPP leadership suggests both parties see the Rawalakot standoff as carrying stakes beyond a local dispute, tied instead to broader trust between Kashmiri residents and the Pakistani state. Rehman framed the matter in exactly those terms, arguing that any positive progress would benefit not just the immediate dispute but the wider relationship between Kashmiri and Pakistani communities.

He renewed his appeal to the Awami Action Committee to avoid further escalation and allow a few more days for progress, expressing hope that his request would receive a positive response.

Whether the committee agrees to pause hinges on how much patience remains after a month-long protest with little visible movement from the government side. If mediation stalls again, Rehman’s appeal — and the trust placed in him by both sides — will face its clearest test yet.