MUZAFFARABAD: The federal and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) governments on Monday urged the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to avoid its planned June 9 strike and continue resolving issues through dialogue, after what officials described as “cordial” and “positive” talks with the group’s representatives in Muzaffarabad.
However, JAAC leaders accused the government of repeatedly reneging on agreements with the movement and warned that the territory-wide protest, shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on June 9 would be observed as per schedule if its demands were not met by May 31.
The three-hour-long meeting between the two sides, held at the Civil Secretariat here, was attended by Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, AJK Finance Minister Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, AJK Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Deewan Ali Chughtai, and the JAAC core members, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri and Imtiaz Aslam.
Addressing a joint press conference afterwards along with the two AJK ministers, Mr Muqam said six meetings had so far been held between representatives of the federal government, the AJK government and the JAAC to oversee implementation of a 37-point agreement reached last year after violent protests over inflation, electricity tariffs and wheat subsidy issues.
Committee rejects govt’s claims on accord implementation, reiterates strike call if their demands are not met by month’s end
“Such swift implementation has no precedent in our political history,” he claimed, while praising the AJK government for its “day-and-night efforts” to fulfil the accord.
Mr Muqam said most of the agreed points had either already been implemented or were in the process of execution, including withdrawal of 177 FIRs against protesters, compensation for those killed or injured during last year’s unrest, reduction in ministers and government departments, approval of the accountability act, and progress on wheat subsidy and tax-related issues.
He said some matters required legal and procedural completion, but work on all points was progressing rapidly.
Referring to the JAAC’s opposition to the 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for the Pakistan based refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Muqam said the issue had been referred to a special committee comprising representatives of the federal government, the AJK government and the JAAC.
JAAC leaders’ press conference
However, shortly after the government’s press conference, JAAC leaders, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri and Amjad Ali Khan, rejected official claims of substantial progress and insisted their June 9 strike call remained intact.
At a separate press conference, they accused the government of repeatedly reneging on agreements and resorting to delaying tactics.
“The public demands are still pending while the government remains limited to announcements and promises,” they said, adding that inflation, unemployment and the electricity crisis had made life increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens.
“Not a single issue agreed upon in the January meeting with ministers has seen any progress,” Mr Kashmiri said, adding that officials continued using vague assurances without specifying implementation deadlines.
“We have clearly told them today that our June 9 call stands,” he said, adding that the JAAC would withdraw from talks after May 31 if electoral reforms and other demands in its charter were not implemented.
Mr Mir said that despite assurances, no payments had been made to the insurance company for the health card scheme since January.
“How can treatment continue under the health card scheme if the insurance company is not being paid?” he asked.
Mr Khan reiterated the committee’s stance that abolition of the 12 refugee seats would not adversely affect the Kashmir freedom movement because, under the AJK Constitution, neither the AJK government nor the legislative assembly had any direct role in it.
Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2026
