MUZAFFARABAD/ISLAMABAD (MNN); The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has sought additional security personnel from the federal government amid the prevailing law and order situation, while Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced a “Grand Kashmir Peace Jirga” to facilitate dialogue between the government and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in an effort to restore peace and stability.
Addressing a joint press conference, AJK government spokesperson Chaudhry Gufran Hussain and Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Masood Kashfi said maintaining law and order and ensuring relief for innocent citizens remained the government’s constitutional responsibility.
The government said that under an agreement reached on October 4, 2025, it had accepted 38 demands of the Awami Action Committee in the larger public interest. However, officials alleged that the committee later moved beyond public welfare demands and became involved in activities directed against the state, leading to its proscription.
According to the spokesperson, the 36-day sit-in severely disrupted the supply of food, medicines and other essential commodities, particularly in Poonch Division, while road blockades paralysed transportation and created shortages of essential items in several areas.
He said the government had a constitutional and moral obligation to reopen highways and restore normal life, alleging that authorities faced resistance and firing whenever attempts were made to clear blocked roads.
The spokesperson further alleged that trucks transporting food supplies were attacked, goods were looted and diesel was siphoned from vehicles, saying such actions could not be described as peaceful protest.
He also claimed that intelligence reports suggested plans to use women and children as human shields during upcoming demonstrations by placing them at the front of protest marches carrying copies of the Holy Quran and white flags. He termed the alleged plan highly condemnable, saying the Holy Quran should never be used during confrontations as it violated its sanctity and Islamic teachings.
The government further alleged that organisers had appealed to students to participate in the planned long march wearing school and college uniforms, with plans to place them on the front lines during Wednesday’s march towards Muzaffarabad. Officials warned that responsibility for any untoward incident would rest with the banned organisation.
Rejecting speculation regarding the electoral process, the spokesperson said there was no possibility of any change or delay in the election schedule, adding that all administrative and security arrangements had been completed to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections. He urged citizens to reject rumours, provocative propaganda and divisive narratives and participate responsibly in the democratic process.
Meanwhile, the AJK Home Department has formally requested the Ministry of Interior to deploy 4,000 personnel of the Federal Constabulary and seven wings of Pakistan Rangers to assist in maintaining peace across the territory.
According to the request, recent protests and sit-ins have adversely affected the security situation. Official figures state that four security personnel have been martyred and 174 others injured during the unrest. The government has also requested anti-riot equipment and additional weapons for the deployed personnel.
Separately, Jamaat-e-Islami announced the formation of a Grand Kashmir Peace Jirga during its Central Majlis-i-Shura meeting in Lahore, chaired by Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.
The jirga will facilitate dialogue between the AJK government and the banned JAAC. A committee headed by Liaqat Baloch, with Dr Muhammad Mushtaq Khan, Abdul Rashid Turabi and Dr Khalid Mahmood, has been constituted and will later be expanded to include retired civil servants, judges, former military officers and civil society representatives.
Hafiz Naeem urged the federal government to immediately initiate negotiations, saying dialogue remained the only viable solution to the crisis. He announced that the committee would soon visit Rawalakot to meet JAAC leaders and encourage a negotiated settlement.
Commenting on the dispute over the 12 reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly, he acknowledged that some concerns of protesters were genuine but maintained that representation of refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) could not be abolished.
The dispute between the government and JAAC centres largely on the committee’s demand to abolish the reserved seats allocated to refugees from IIOJK.
The government declared JAAC a proscribed organisation in June following its strike call, after which authorities arrested a number of its leaders and activists. On Saturday, at least one person was killed and several others injured during clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel near Arja and Rawalakot.
