A delegation representing the Kashmiri-American diaspora held a 90-minute meeting with the visiting Federal Planning Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, on Sunday, during which they voiced concern over the recent developments in Azad Kashmir, according to a press release issued by the delegation.
Kashmiri-American Delegation Urges Dialogue for Peace and Unity in AJK
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 13 (APP): A delegation representing the Kashmiri-American diaspora held a 90-minute meeting with the visiting Federal Planning Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, on Sunday, during which they voiced concern over the recent developments in Azad Kashmir, according to a press release issued by the delegation.
Ahsan had engaged with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in 2025 as part of the delegation sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to deal with the unrest there.
The delegation submitted a memorandum entitled, “A Call for Dialogue, Reconciliation, and National Unity in Azad Jammu & Kashmir” to Ahsan Iqbal, which was addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, was also present.
The members of the Kashmiri delegation included: Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Sardar Zarif Khan, Sardar Sawar Khan, Sardar Taj Khan, Sardar Shoaib Irshad, Aftab Shah, Imtiaz Kiyani, Farooq Qureishi, Sardar Aftab Roshan Khan, Syed Asad Hussain Gilani, Zaheer Qureishi, Khan Abdul Waheed and Sardar Sajid Sawar.
The memorandum welcomed the Government of Pakistan’s decision to address one of the principal demands of the JAAC by providing subsidies on essential commodities and services, particularly electricity and wheat flour.
“We also appreciate the restoration of the health card program in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, a significant measure that will benefit countless families. These decisions demonstrate that dialogue can produce meaningful and positive outcomes.”
The document added, “As members of the Kashmiri diaspora with deep roots in our ancestral homeland, we respectfully urge the Government of Pakistan and all relevant state institutions to initiate meaningful engagement with the leadership of the JAAC and other stakeholders. At this critical moment, dialogue, patience, and statesmanship offer the most effective path toward restoring confidence and preventing further hardship.”
“We have full confidence that Pakistan’s leadership will continue to act with wisdom, foresight, and compassion in addressing this challenging situation. We sincerely hope that every possible effort will be made to restore peace, safeguard the welfare and dignity of the people of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and strengthen the unity that has always been the foundation of our collective resolve.
“We truly believe that history will judge us not by the divisions we inherited, but by the wisdom and compassion with which we chose to overcome them. We remain confident that, through dialogue, justice, and national unity, Pakistan and the people of Jammu & Kashmir can emerge from this moment stronger and more united than before.
