LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Majlis-e-Shura (central executive) has decided to establish a Grand Kashmir Peace Jirga to facilitate dialogue between the government and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in an effort to restore peace and normalcy in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s Central Majlis-e-Shura chaired by JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman at Mansoora here on Sunday.

The meeting decided that the jirga will engage both the government and the JAAC, with the restoration of peace and the resolution of issues in AJK as its top priorities.

To oversee the initiative, Rehman constituted a committee headed by JI Deputy Emir Liaqat Baloch. The committee includes AJK Emir Dr Muhammad Mushtaq Khan and former AJK chiefs Abdul Rashid Turabi and Dr Khalid Mahmood.

Mr Rehman 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 JI chief urged the federal government to initiate negotiations without any delay to restore normalcy in the region. He said a dialogue was the only viable way out of the ongoing crisis and prevent further deterioration of the situation.

The meeting expressed its deep concern over the prevailing AKJ situation, warning that continued unrest could adversely affect the broader Kashmir cause. It reiterated that no compromise could be made on the Kashmir issue, stating that countless Pakistanis and Kashmiris had sacrificed their lives for the cause.

Referring to the security challenges in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the JI chief 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 acknowledged that some of the protesters’ concerns were legitimate. However, he stressed that representation of refugees from India-held Jammu and Kashmir in the assembly could not be abolished.

He expressed confidence that a workable solution could be found. “No one is bigger or smaller. The government should set aside stubbornness and ego and engage in meaningful dialogue,” he said, adding that the JI had no political interest in the dispute and was acting solely to ensure peace and safeguard the Kashmir cause.

The JI chief also said the party could not remain a silent spectator while blood was being shed in AJK, emphasising that further violence must be prevented at all costs.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026