Federal Minister urges dialogue on confrontation as JAAC plans new protests in AJK
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry addresses a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday. SCREEN GRAB
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Sunday rejected allegations that the October 3, 2025 agreement with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had remained largely unimplemented, saying the government had fulfilled the vast majority of its commitments in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
His remarks came after JAAC announced region-wide protests on June 9, prompting the AJK government to declare the group a banned organisation, accusing it of involvement in terrorism, promoting hatred and creating anarchy in the state.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Chaudhry that the government had repeatedly tried to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue, but lamented that “false and negative propaganda” was being spread about the implementation status of the agreement.
Referring to demands regarding the representation of Kashmiri migrants living in Pakistan, the minister said four options had been suggested, including discussing the matter through an all-party conference comprising all registered political parties in AJK.
Dr. Chaudhry denied claims circulating on social media that only three clauses of the agreement had been implemented, saying that as a signatory to the agreement and participating in the October 2025 negotiations with JAAC, he wanted to present the implementation protocol before the public “clause by clause”.
According to the minister, the first commitment related to cases registered against protesters during protests and the long march held in September 2025. He said 177 FIRs had been withdrawn through notices issued on several dates in December 2025.
However, he noted that cases relating to 14 deaths had not been withdrawn and remained closed while a proposal to set up a judicial commission was still under consideration.
Dr. Chaudhry said government employees suspended for participating in the demonstrations had been reinstated, while employment had been provided to family members of deceased protesters, including the widow of one victim.
He further stated that electricity bills of beneficiaries affected by the Mangla Dam Raising Project had been waived, with the relevant notifications already issued.
The minister said the National Highway Authority (NHA) had completed a feasibility study for the Khuiratta-Azad Pattan Road project and submitted it to the Ministry of Communications with details shared with the AJK government.
On other commitments, he said procurement of electricity meters through e-tendering had begun while measures had been taken to improve flour quality by procuring supplies from both PASSCO and local mills.
Dr. Chaudhry said progress had also been made in expanding internet services through the Universal Service Fund mechanism. The legal framework had been finalized and implementation work had already begun, he added.
He said a waste management system had been introduced in Muzaffarabad, while development schemes worth Rs 2.7 billion had been launched across nine districts.
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On local government reforms, the minister said the AJK cabinet had approved the matter and set up a ministerial committee to pursue the necessary legislative changes. He added that electricity tariff notifications had been issued for private schools and certain commercial units.
The minister said that discussions with the State Bank of Pakistan on the planning of the Bank of Azad Jammu and Kashmir had resulted in the issuance of the required notifications.
He also announced that two new federal boards had been established and notified, while the distribution of assets associated with the Mirpur board was underway.
Dr. Chaudhry further said that implementation had begun on allotment commitments for extended families in Mirpur district and those affected by the Mangla Dam Raising project. He added that a health card scheme had already been launched for residents of AJK, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.
On health infrastructure, he said a project worth approximately Rs 5 billion to provide MRI machines and CT scanners to district hospitals had been approved by the relevant authorities in AJK and would be completed soon.
The minister said that Rs 10 billion had been allocated under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for electrification and upgradation works which would help solve electricity-related problems across the region.
He maintained that demands for reduction in the size of the AJK cabinet and government offices had also been met. According to him, the number of ministers had been reduced to 20, while the number of government offices had been cut to 22.
Dr. Chaudhry said an order regarding the merger of anti-corruption and accountability institutions had been issued while the NHA was conducting feasibility studies for two tunnels on the Neelum Valley Road.
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Regarding Mirpur Airport, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asked the authorities to pursue the project even before JAAC raised the demand. He said feasibility work was underway, although commercial airlines had yet to show significant interest.
The minister also mentioned progress on hydropower projects, bridge construction schemes, tax relief, water supply projects and transport policy reforms. He said a proposal to provide property rights to refugees living in Mandhol Colony, Dadyal had been approved by the government on Sunday.
Summarizing the agreement’s implementation status, Dr. Chaudhry that all clauses that could be implemented through executive orders or cabinet decisions had been implemented. These included compensation to the families of the deceased, support to injured protesters, reinstatement of employees and withdrawal of FIRs.
He argued that development projects such as roads, tunnels, airports, electrification schemes and health infrastructure required longer implementation periods and could not reasonably be completed within a few months.
“Mega projects take years to complete, be it in Azad Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere in Pakistan,” he said, adding that repeated protests and long marches over ongoing development plans were unjustified.
The minister said the government was in possession of documentary evidence, including notifications, orders, compensation registers and feasibility studies, to substantiate its claims.
He rejected claims that the October 3 agreement had remained largely unimplemented, but maintained that 35 of its 38 clauses had either been implemented or substantially implemented, while the remaining provisions were either subject to court orders or limited by practical considerations.
Dr. Chaudhry urged all stakeholders to pursue dialogue instead of confrontation and stressed that violence was not a solution to political disputes.
He warned against attempts to create unrest in AJK and questioned whether such actions served the interests of Pakistan, AJK or the wider Kashmir cause. “The solution to these issues is not violence,” he said, adding, “The solution is dialogue. We cannot allow law and order to deteriorate or innocent lives to be lost.”
