MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The federal government’s negotiating committee has failed to reach an agreement with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to end its proposed strike call for June 9.
Addressing the press conference after the three-hour-long meeting at the PID Complex in Muzaffarabad, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam said that the government has invited the JAAC to attend the Constitutional Committee meeting on May 14 in Islamabad so that they can present their position directly at the constitutional forum.
He said that the Constitutional Committee will decide what impact the retention or elimination of the 12 seats of refugees residing in Pakistan will have on the state, refugees, and the political system.
While speaking to the reports along with the other government’s negotiators, AJK ministers Deewan Ali Chughtai and Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, Amir Muqam said talks with the Action Committee took place in a pleasant, positive, and constructive atmosphere, in which both sides openly presented their respective positions.
Chief Secretary Azad Kashmir Khushal Khan and Secretary Information Rashid Hanif were also present on the occasion.
On the other hand, JAAC’s Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Omar Nazir Kashmiri, and Chaudhry Imtiaz Aslam attended the negotiations held at the Chief Secretary’s Office in Muzaffarabad.
The federal minister Amir Muqam said that out of the 38-point Charter of Demand of the JAAC, 37 points have either been fully implemented or practical progress is underway, while only one point is related to the seats of refugees residing in Pakistan, which is a constitutional matter and is under consideration in the Constitutional Committee.
He said that the government wants all issues to be resolved through dialogue, understanding, and constitutional means instead of protests, tension, and confrontation.
“The government’s position is clear that any sensitive and constitutional issue should be resolved at the negotiating table instead of on the streets,” Amir Muqam added.
He said that the JAAC has responded positively in today’s talks, and it is expected that it will be part of the constitutional process by prioritizing the state’s interests.
All demands except one implemented: AJK minister
AJK Finance Minister Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, a member of the government negotiation committee, said that all the demands except one point on the charter of demands of the JAAC have been implemented.
He stated that the rest of the matter is constitutional in nature, and the federal government wants the Action Committee to participate in the meeting of the Constitutional Committee and present its arguments in this regard.
He said that a boycott is not a solution to any problem, but talking effectively on constitutional forums is the only democratic way.
Finance Minister further told reporters that the representatives of the JAAC have assured that they will attend the Constitutional Committee meeting on May 14. Law Minister and the Senior Most Minister, Mian Abdul Waheed, will attend the meeting as AJK government representative.
In response to a question, Qasim Majeed said that if we resolve the points of the JAAC by June 9, we can also celebrate Thanksgiving Day [Youm-e-Tashakur] on that day.
Qasim Majeed said that the environment in Azad Kashmir has improved after the political changes, and the government is taking practical steps to resolve public issues.
The finance minister further said that Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore is being warmly welcomed in the areas where government representatives faced severe public backlash in the past, which proves that the people are appreciating the government’s initiatives.
He expressed hope that the Joint Awami Action Committee would respond positively to the government’s proposals, reconsider the June 9 strike call, and play an effective role in state building and development, political stability, and national unity by advancing the negotiation process.
