JAAC, govt talks to begin from today

MUZAFFARABAD: A key round of negotiations between the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and the Government of Pakistan is set to take place in Muzaffarabad on May 30, as efforts continue to resolve major constitutional and political issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

According to official details, the Chief Secretary of AJK has formally invited core JAAC leaders, including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, along with members of the federal government’s negotiation committee, for talks scheduled at 11 am.

The discussions will primarily focus on the issue of reserved seats for Jammu and Kashmir refugees and other pending demands raised by the JAAC.

The meeting comes at a critical time as the JAAC has already announced a protest movement and strike call for June 9 if unresolved issues are not addressed.

Sources said members of the larger federal committee formed on October 4, 2025, including federal ministers Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Rana Sanaullah, and Amir Muqam, are also expected to participate in the talks.

Officials say the federal government is making fresh efforts to settle the matters through dialogue and prevent further political unrest in the region.

Multiple rounds of negotiations have already taken place between the two sides. However, during the previous meeting held on May 11, both parties failed to reach an agreement over the JAAC’s proposed June 9 strike.

Government representatives maintain that 37 out of the JAAC’s 38 demands have either been implemented or are under practical progress, while the remaining issue regarding refugee seats is a constitutional matter currently under review by the Constitutional Committee.