Key Takeaways
- The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has postponed its long march to Muzaffarabad by one week.
- No incidents of violence were reported in Poonch and Sudhnoti despite fears.
- Key JAAC leaders held talks with mediation team from the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has deferred its planned long march to Muzaffarabad by one week, following successful back-channel negotiations that raised hopes of a negotiated settlement. The decision was announced at Eidgah Ground in Rawalakot, where thousands of supporters had gathered in anticipation of the march.
Despite concerns about potential violence, no untoward incidents were reported from Poonch and Sudhnoti during the day, while life remained normal across the rest of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The deferral comes after several hours-long talks between JAAC leaders and a mediation team comprising Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Chairman Syed Qamar Raza, Chaudhry Zafar Anwar, and Chaudhry Arif. These talks followed two earlier rounds of contacts initiated on Sunday and continued on Tuesday night.
Addressing supporters at Eidgah Ground, JAAC leader Umar Nazir Kashmiri stated that the long march had been postponed for one week but that sit-ins would continue during this period. He expressed hope that matters agreed upon in principle would be amicably settled within this timeframe.
The talks were facilitated by Field Marshal Asim Munir and OPF Chairman Syed Qamar Raza, who reportedly secured the necessary backing from the highest levels to break the deadlock. The mediation team also involved respected figures from Poonch — Sardar Amin and Shazib Shabbir — who separately met Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore late on Tuesday night.
Prime Minister Rathore, in a tweet, emphasized the need for peace and called upon all parties to end the crisis. He wrote: 'This state is a cradle of peace. How long will we continue to watch this peace being stained with our own blood? This cycle must stop here, and the ordeal of innocent people must end.'
The JAAC had previously written to the army chief two days earlier after concluding that their concerns were not reaching him through official channels. The mediation efforts have thus far resulted in broad agreement on most agenda items, with a few outstanding issues remaining.
Sources familiar with the negotiations stated that both sides have reached an understanding and are hopeful that the ongoing sit-in will end once these final issues are resolved. The government has expressed its willingness to take 'another step forward' to restore peace.
This state is a cradle of peace. How long will we continue to watch this peace being stained with our own blood? This cycle must stop here, and the ordeal of innocent people must end.
Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Prime Minister
