JI to form Kashmir peace Jirga to facilitate dialogue between Government and JAAC

Jamaat-i-Islami has decided to establish a “grand” Kashmir peace jirga to facilitate dialogue between the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee, in an effort to restore stability and normalcy in the region. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s central Majlis-i-Shura, chaired by JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman at Mansoorah, Lahore.

According to a press release, the jirga will engage both the government and the JAAC, with the restoration of peace and the resolution of issues in AJK identified as its top priorities. To oversee the initiative, Rehman constituted a committee headed by JI Deputy Emir Liaqat Baloch, including JI AJK Emir Dr Muhammad Mushtaq Khan and former regional chiefs Abdul Rashid Turabi and Dr Khalid Mahmood. The JI chief also indicated that the committee would be expanded to include former civil bureaucrats, retired judges, ex-military officials, and members of civil society from AJK.

The Shura expressed “deep concern” over the prevailing situation in AJK, warning that continued unrest could adversely affect the broader Kashmir cause. “No compromise can be made on the Kashmir issue,” the statement asserted, adding that countless Pakistanis and Kashmiris had sacrificed their lives for the cause. Addressing the meeting, Rehman urged the federal government to initiate negotiations without delay to restore normalcy in the region. “Dialogue is the only viable way to resolve the ongoing crisis and prevent further deterioration of the situation,” Rehman was quoted as saying.

Referring to the security challenges in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he cautioned that Pakistan could not afford another internal conflict in AJK. He announced that the expanded committee would soon visit Rawalakot to meet JAAC leaders and make every possible effort to bring the situation under control through dialogue. Commenting on the controversy surrounding the 12 reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly, Rehman said some concerns of the protesters were legitimate but stressed that the representation of refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the assembly could not be abolished. He expressed confidence that a workable solution could be found through negotiations.

On June 5, following the announcement of the JAAC’s June 9 strike, the AJK government declared the body a proscribed organisation. A day later, authorities launched a crackdown, arresting scores of its leaders and activists. On Saturday, at least one man was killed and several others injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel along a key road linking Arja and Rawalakot district. The JI’s initiative represents a significant effort to bridge the divide and restore peace in the region through dialogue and negotiation.