AJK PM reaffirms dialogue offer, seeks peaceful resolution to JKAAC demands

MIRPUR, Jun 2 (APP): Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Tuesday said the government is making all possible efforts to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue and ensure that the Joint Awami Action Committee (JKAAC) does not resort to street protests.

Speaking during an interview at Jammu and Kashmir House in Islamabad, the prime minister said the government prefers negotiation and mutual understanding as the primary means of addressing grievances. He added that if protests do take place, the administration would respond with restraint and would not obstruct peaceful demonstrators.

Referring to the JKAAC’s demand regarding the abolition of 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri migrants in the AJK Legislative Assembly, Rathore said various proposals were under consideration, including the possibility of reducing the number of seats. He emphasized that the matter is constitutional in nature and requires broad political consensus rather than unilateral decisions.

The prime minister said that talks with the Action Committee have been productive in the past and noted that most points of an earlier charter of demands had been addressed, except the issue of refugee seats, which later became the central point of contention. He also added that efforts were underway to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) to build consensus among political stakeholders.

Rathore further stressed that democratic and constitutional matters should be resolved within parliamentary forums rather than through street agitation, reiterating that the government remains open to continued dialogue with all stakeholders in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the region.