PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday said he had received a response from the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to his letter proposing the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, adding that he would now consult key stakeholders to determine the way forward.
The PPP has repeatedly called for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission amid protests in AJK.
Over the past month, the regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues — most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947, which has resulted in protests across the region.
In a post on X, Bilawal welcomed the group’s “willingness to engage with the proposed commission” as a possible institutional mechanism to address the crisis, noting that the proposal had also been endorsed by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
“The loss of every precious life is a national tragedy.”
The PPP chairman maintained that his “foremost priority” is to help bring an end to the “ongoing crisis” and provide relief to the region’s people and restore normal life in AJK as “soon as possible”.
Bilawal said he would now consult Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, who would seek initial input from the federal government and other relevant stakeholders to determine whether there was sufficient common ground to move forward with a mutually agreed proposal.
Addressing a public gathering of party workers in Muzaffarabad earlier this week, the PPP chairman said: “It is necessary that during these historic elections, we restore peace and maintain fairness and transparency. To honour the future of Kashmir and Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, this is not about anyone’s victory or defeat. The state and the protesters will have to accept this recommendation from the PPP.”
Bilawal said he had been campaigning for the formation of the commission for the past month.
The region’s legislative assembly had also endorsed a resolution asking for the establishment of an independent reconciliation commission to investigate the violence and pave the way for a negotiated settlement.
JAAC ban
The regional government on June 5 declared the JAAC a proscribed organisation and placed it under the First Schedule of the region’s anti-terrorism act.
The notification by AJK’s Home Department said the group is “engaged in terrorism” and has acted in a manner “prejudicial to peace and security” of the state.
It further stated that JAAC is involved in “creating anarchy in the state by intimidating public, promoting hatred and creating a sense of insecurity in society and public at large etc”.
Following the ban, local authorities launched a crackdown against the organisation, arresting scores of its leaders and activists from different areas.
In a televised press conference on July 28, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar alleged the involvement of militant elements within JAAC and said they were pursuing a foreign agenda and backed by Indian funding.
The information minister reiterated claims made earlier in the day by the region’s information secretary and a senior police official that a significant number of protesters participating in the proscribed JAAC demonstration in AJK were affiliated with Fitna Al Khawarij.
