Islamabad: A Kashmir Peace Jirga led by Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch on Thursday welcomed the ongoing dialogue between state institutions and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), urging the government to implement commitments made to the committee, establish an independent fact-finding mission to assess the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and ensure that the July 27 elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.
The jirga, convened on the directives of JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, also appreciated the JAAC's decision to postpone its planned long march, describing it as a positive step toward reducing tensions. Participants stressed that the current crisis in AJK should be resolved through dialogue, political wisdom and public confidence rather than the use of force.
The meeting, held in Islamabad, was attended by JI Deputy Emir Mian Muhammad Aslam, former JI AJK emirs Abdul Rashid Turabi and Dr. Khalid Mahmood, JI AJK Secretary General Raja Jahangir Khan, JI Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi, Muttahida Majlis-e-Wahdat Council AJK President Allama Imtiaz Ahmad Siddiqui, Hurriyat leader Javed Maqbool Butt, Brig (retd) Altaf, former bureaucrat Muhammad Saleem Basmal, overseas Kashmiri leader Sardar Zulfikar Roshan, Tanveer Ahmad Khan, Pir Dr. Sultan-ul-Arifeen and trader leader Masood Raza. A joint communiqu© was issued at the conclusion of the meeting.
Speaking to the media afterward, Liaqat Baloch said the peace jirga had been constituted to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the ongoing situation in AJK and had received a positive response from Kashmiris in Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and abroad. He said the jirga had remained in contact with national leaders, the AJK leadership and state institutions, with the sole objective of promoting dialogue and preventing further escalation.
Baloch said reports of negotiations between the JAAC and state institutions were encouraging and described the postponement of the long march as a constructive development. He urged the government to demonstrate seriousness by implementing the agreements already reached with the Action Committee, warning that any delay could aggravate the crisis. He maintained that suppressing peaceful public protests through force was not a solution and only created a negative perception of the state. According to Baloch, poor governance and the government's failure to address public grievances had compelled people to take to the streets. He appealed to all stakeholders, including the Action Committee leadership, to exercise restraint and contribute positively to the dialogue process.
Baloch also rejected comparisons between the current situation in Azad Kashmir and Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, saying the occupied territory had endured nearly eight decades of Indian occupation, repression and gross human rights violations, while democratic and political avenues remained available in AJK to resolve disputes.
He further called for greater interaction between the leadership of Azad Kashmir and IOK, saying that if veteran Kashmiri leader Farooq Abdullah wished to visit Azad Kashmir, he should be allowed to do so. However, he added, India should first release the detained Kashmiri leadership and permit them to accompany him.
The joint communiqu© observed that AJK had been facing political, administrative, economic and governance challenges for the past 35 years, leading to widespread public anxiety. It welcomed the ongoing negotiations among the government, the JAAC and state institutions and urged the immediate implementation of all agreed measures. The communiqu© emphasized that preserving peace and stability in Azad Kashmir was vital for the broader Kashmir freedom movement. It affirmed that peaceful protest, freedom of expression and dissent are constitutional and democratic rights, cautioning that the unnecessary use of state force and restrictions on civil liberties could further intensify tensions.
The jirga urged the governments of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, state institutions, political parties and civil society to work together for a negotiated settlement of the crisis. It reiterated its demand for an independent national fact-finding mission and called for the July 27 elections to be held in a transparent, impartial and interference-free environment to restore public confidence.
The participants also appealed to overseas Kashmiris and supporters of the Kashmir cause to continue playing an active role in securing a just resolution of the dispute, safeguarding the rights of the Kashmiri people and promoting lasting peace and stability in the region. The jirga reaffirmed its commitment to continue efforts aimed at confidence-building, dialogue and a durable political solution to the ongoing crisis in Azad Kashmir.