ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed deep concern over the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and ordered a transparent inquiry into the violent incidents. He also appealed to the AJK citizens to remain peaceful.
Protests in AJK entered their fourth day on Thursday, with shutter-down strike and wheel-jam protests continuing across the region.
Meanwhile, negotiations are under way between a high-level delegation of the federal government and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Muzaffarabad in a bid to put an end to the ongoing unrest in the territory.
In a tweet, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said, “A high-level delegation from Pakistan has started formal dialogue with representatives of the Joint Action Committee of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Muzaffarabad today.”
A high-level delegation from Pakistan has started formal dialogue with representatives of the Joint Action Committee of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Muzaffarabad today. pic.twitter.com/gcKdFoYKNL
— Dr. Tariq Fazal Ch. (@DrTariqFazal) October 2, 2025
The prime minister said that peaceful protest was the constitutional and democratic right of every citizen, but urged demonstrators to avoid disrupting public order.
He directed law enforcement agencies to exercise patience and tolerance, respect public sentiments, and refrain from any unnecessary use of force.
Sharif further instructed that families affected by the protests should be provided immediate relief and ordered an impartial investigation into the violence.
For a peaceful resolution, the prime minister expanded the government’s negotiation committee, adding Senator Rana Sanaullah, federal ministers Sardar Yousaf and Ahsan Iqbal, former AJK president Masood Khan, and PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira.
The committee has been tasked to travel to Muzaffarabad immediately and work on a lasting solution to the crisis.
Background
Violence erupted in AJK on Monday when clashes broke out during rival protests, leaving one person dead and dozens injured.
At least one civilian was killed and a police officer was among the injured, while the region witnessed a communications blackout amid shutter-down and wheel-jam strikes.
The strike had been called by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) after its demands were not met.
Various groups held simultaneous demonstrations, accusing each other of fuelling violence during otherwise peaceful protests.
Mobile and internet services had remained suspended in AJK since Sunday afternoon.
The fatal clashes occurred near Neelum Bridge when a peace rally led by Muslim Conference leader Raja Saqib Majeed came face to face with JAAC demonstrators.
The federal and AJK governments later invited the protesters for talks to de-escalate tensions. However, unrest persisted, with three police personnel killed on Wednesday during the ongoing agitation.
A three-day shutter-down strike, coupled with a communications blackout, paralysed AJK as JAAC remained firm on its demands.
Earlier, the federal government and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) governments had invited the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to resume talks.
Speaking at a joint press conference with AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the AJK government had accepted 90 per cent of the committee’s demands in the presence of federal representatives.
He said that he and Ameer Maqam had given assurances that those demands would be implemented.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that negotiators held talks with the JAAC for 12 hours but reached a deadlock over two demands — ending seats reserved for migrants and reducing the number of ministries in AJK — which would require amendments to the AJK constitution.