Fazlur Rehman urges Action Committee to pause protest

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has urged the banned Awami Action Committee to refrain from taking any further action for the time being and allow a few days for efforts aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute.

In a message addressed to the committee, Fazlur Rehman said the group had been staging a sit-in in Rawalakot and surrounding areas for the past month, demanding that the government accept its demands.

He acknowledged that several unfortunate incidents had occurred during the protest, creating tensions in the region. However, he noted that the committee’s demands and the sit-in had also been discussed in parliament.

The JUI-F chief said the Awami Action Committee had requested him to act as a mediator between the protesters and the government, expressing gratitude for the confidence placed in him.

He added that JUI leaders in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Maulana Saeed Yousaf Khan, along with tribal elder Kamran Azam Khan from Rawalakot, had remained in close contact with him throughout the process.

Fazlur Rehman said he had deliberately avoided announcing any further steps while consultations with both the government and the committee were underway. He revealed that he had also spoken with Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is currently in Muzaffarabad and actively engaged in efforts to resolve the issue.

According to Fazlur Rehman, Bilawal Bhutto has requested additional time to continue discussions with the government. He said the two leaders had met around a week to 10 days ago and had remained in contact since then.

He said Bilawal was committed to preventing violence and unrest and wanted the dispute to be resolved through dialogue rather than confrontation.

Fazlur Rehman stressed that peaceful progress would help strengthen trust between the people of Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.