Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while expressing deep concern and taking notice of the violent situation in Azad Kashmir, has appealed to the protesters to remain peaceful, assuring the resolution of their issues as soon as possible. In a statement issued in Islamabad early Thursday, PM Shehbaz Sharif maintained that peaceful protest was a constitutional and democratic right of every citizen but the protesters should refrain from harming public peace. 

The prime minister directed the law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint and patience with the protesters, ensuring respect for public sentiments and avoiding any unnecessary harshness. The prime minister assured that the government was always ready to resolve the issues of its Kashmiri brothers.Expressing deep concern over the unfortunate incidents during the protests, Shehbaz Sharif ordered a transparent investigation into the matter and directed the provision of immediate assistance to the affected families.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also decided to expand the negotiation committee to find a peaceful resolution to the issue including federal ministers Sardar Yusuf and Ahsan Iqbal, Senator Rana Sanaullah, former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Masood Khan, and Qamar Zaman Kaira in the body. He instructed the negotiation committee to immediately travel to Muzaffarabad and find an immediate and lasting solution to the issues.He announced to personally oversee the negotiation process upon his return to the country.

The prime minister also appealed to the members and leadership of the Action Committee to cooperate with the government’s negotiation committee which would submit its recommendations and proposed solutions to the Prime Minister’s Office without delay for immediate resolution of the issues.The unrest over the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee’s (JKJAAC) demands took a bloody turn on Wednesday, with at least nine people killed in clashes with law enforcers, including three policemen, and over a hundred injured.

Talks between the JKJAAC, the AJK government and federal ministers over elite privileges and reserved seats for refugees broke down last week. Rival groups have since staged protests, trading blame for violence that marred what began as a largely peaceful movement.Addressing a press conference alongside Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Wednesday, AJK PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq said a “civilised and peaceful” path to securing public rights lays in negotiations, warning that violence would only deepen the crisis.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)