MUZAFARRABAD (Kashmir English): The much-awaited negotiations between the Government of Azad Kashmir and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) failed on Wednesday night after nearly 12 hours of continuous talk as the JAAC delegation walked away from the hall.
According to Kashmir Digital representative Masood-ur-Rehman Abbasi, the negotiations began at 4:30 pm on Wednesday and continued till late at night, lasting for about 12 hours.
During the negotiations, there were several beams of hope that this deadlock between the AJk government and the JAAC would be resolved; however, even after putting a lot of effort, it ended without any agreement.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leaders expressed deep frustration, stating that they tried to be flexible in several key agreements and proposals, but the government representatives were unwilling to accept even the most reasonable proposals.
This made the whole environment even more tense, after which the JAAC delegation left the hall and joined supporters at a nearby square, while government ministers also departed soon after.
AJK Govt’s Response
After the failed talks between the Azad Kashmir government and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Muzaffarabad, federal ministers Engineer Amir Muqam and Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the Joint Awami Action Committee leaders’ demands were unacceptable.
Our doors are still open for them; if they come to us with a positive mindset, we are ready to hold talks with them. They said that the Action Committee had put forward some demands that could not be accepted. What their agenda was is beyond our understanding.
No one will be allowed to obstruct the movement of people in Azad Kashmir. This is the responsibility of the government. On this occasion, Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore was also with the federal ministers. He said that I am very sad that things could not be settled in the way we left here today.
“We had resolved almost all ten points of their demands and even agreed on additional matters. Everything was nearly settled when they suddenly insisted on resolving all issues immediately, which was impossible,” Rathore explained.
Additionally, they were told that all the issues you have mentioned cannot be resolved at once. You should give them 60 days in order. The entire negotiation will be monitored, and after sixty days, the federal representatives will meet you again and resolve these issues.
Faisal Rathore said that the negotiation team said that all the issues should be resolved together, which was impossible. He further said that if these issues had been resolved today with the presence of federal ministers, it would have been our good fortune, but this was not possible.
Earlier on Wednesday, according to the committee’s spokesperson, the government had agreed to implement the demands of the JAAC leaders that were pending after the December 8 agreement.
In total, the action committee presented the government with a 38-point charter of demands. Initially, there were 12-point demands, and the committee gave the government a deadline until June 8 to address them.
