JAAC Fuelling Instability Despite Deal, Says Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Sunday levelled serious accusations against the proscribed Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), claiming the banned group was actively working to destabilise the region even after the government had largely fulfilled its end of a negotiated agreement.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) political leaders, the minister noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had formed a high-level committee to engage in talks with the JAAC, and that a separate monitoring committee was established to oversee the implementation of all mutually agreed points. He confirmed that the government had honoured every clause of the deal.

Nevertheless, the banned group renewed its call for protests, drawing sharp criticism from Chaudhry. His remarks came two days after the AJK government formally declared JAAC a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws, in anticipation of the group’s planned protest on June 9. The organisation had previously led large-scale demonstrations over economic hardships and political rights, some of which turned violent and resulted in deaths during confrontations with security forces in May 2024 and September 2025.

The minister outlined the government’s relief measures for the region, confirming that electricity was being supplied at Rs3 per unit and that subsidies on flour and other basic commodities were being extended. He also stated that commitments made to the families of those martyred and injured in previous protests had been fulfilled, and that 170 cases filed against demonstrators had been withdrawn.

Raising concerns over the upcoming elections, Chaudhry alleged that “efforts were being made to sabotage free and fair elections” in AJK. On the contentious matter of the 12 refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly — reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947 — the minister noted that courts had clearly ruled these constitutional seats “could not be abolished without legislation.”

He acknowledged that groundwork had begun on infrastructure commitments, while cautioning that large-scale projects such as tunnel construction require considerable time. He urged the JAAC to abandon its protest-driven approach, warning that “frequent protests were not an appropriate approach for medium- and long-term development plans.”

In a related development, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced he would hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the deteriorating situation in AJK. The announcement was made during a PPP AJK parliamentary party meeting chaired by Bilawal, where he expressed deep concern over conditions in the region.

The PPP chief reaffirmed his party’s longstanding commitment to resolving AJK’s challenges through political dialogue, stating, “PPP was founded on the Kashmir issue.” He stressed that political matters must be addressed through discussion and within the framework of the legislative assembly. The meeting was also attended by PPP AJK political affairs in-charge Faryal Talpur, with party lawmakers presenting their recommendations during the session.