Tariq Fazal rejects JAAC claims of inaction, says most agreement commitments fulfilled
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Sunday rejected claims that the October 3, 2025, agreement with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had largely remained unimplemented, saying the government had fulfilled the vast majority of its commitments in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
His remarks came after JAAC announced protests across the region on June 9, prompting the AJK government to declare the group a proscribed organisation, accusing it of involvement in terrorism, promoting hatred and creating anarchy in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Chaudhry said the government had repeatedly sought to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue but regretted that “false and negative propaganda” was being spread regarding the implementation status of the agreement.
Referring to demands concerning the representation of Kashmiri migrants residing in Pakistan, the minister said four options had been proposed, including discussing the matter through an all-parties conference comprising all registered political parties in AJK.
Rejecting claims circulating on social media that only three clauses of the agreement had been implemented, Dr Chaudhry said that, as a signatory to the accord and a participant in the negotiations held with JAAC in October 2025, he wanted to present the implementation record before the public “clause by clause”.
According to the minister, the first commitment related to cases registered against demonstrators during protests and the long march held in September 2025. He said 177 FIRs had been withdrawn through notifications issued on multiple dates in December 2025.
However, he noted that cases relating to 14 deaths had not been withdrawn and remained sealed, while a proposal to establish a judicial commission was still under consideration.
Dr Chaudhry said government employees suspended for participating in the demonstrations had been reinstated, while employment had been provided to the family members of deceased protesters, including the widow of one victim.
He further stated that electricity bills of beneficiaries affected by the Mangla Dam Raising Project had been waived, with the relevant notifications already issued.
The minister said the National Highway Authority (NHA) had completed a feasibility study for the Khuiratta–Azad Pattan Road project and submitted it to the Ministry of Communications, with details shared with the AJK government.
On other commitments, he said the procurement of electricity metres through e-tendering had begun, while measures had been taken to improve flour quality by sourcing supplies from both PASSCO and local mills.
Dr Chaudhry said progress had also been made on expanding internet services through the Universal Service Fund mechanism. The legal framework had been finalised and implementation work had already commenced, he added.
He said a waste management system had been introduced in Muzaffarabad, while development schemes worth Rs2.7 billion had been launched across nine districts.
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Regarding local government reforms, the minister said the AJK cabinet had approved the matter and constituted a ministerial committee to pursue the necessary legislative changes. He added that notifications had been issued regarding electricity tariff concessions for private schools and certain commercial units.
The minister said discussions with the State Bank of Pakistan on the scheduling of the Bank of Azad Jammu and Kashmir had resulted in the issuance of the required notifications.
He also announced that two new federal boards had been established and notified, while the distribution of assets associated with the Mirpur board was under way.
Dr Chaudhry further said implementation had begun on allotment commitments for extended families in Mirpur district and those affected by the Mangla Dam Raising Project. He added that a health card scheme had already been launched for residents of AJK, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.
On healthcare infrastructure, he said a project worth approximately Rs5 billion to provide MRI machines and CT scanners to district hospitals had been approved by the relevant authorities in AJK and would be completed soon.
The minister said Rs10 billion had been allocated under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for electrification and upgradation works, which would help address electricity-related issues across the region.
He maintained that demands regarding the reduction of the size of the AJK cabinet and government offices had also been fulfilled. According to him, the number of ministers had been reduced to 20, while the number of government offices had been cut to 22.
Dr Chaudhry said an ordinance relating to the merger of anti-corruption and accountability institutions had been issued, while the NHA was conducting feasibility studies for two tunnels on the Neelum Valley Road.
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Regarding Mirpur Airport, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed authorities to pursue the project even before JAAC raised the demand. He said feasibility work was under way, although commercial airlines had yet to show significant interest.
The minister also cited progress on hydroelectric projects, bridge construction schemes, tax relief measures, water supply projects and transport policy reforms. He said a proposal to grant property rights to refugees residing in Mandhol Colony, Dadyal, had been approved by the cabinet on Sunday.
Summing up the implementation status of the agreement, Dr Chaudhry said all clauses that could be executed through executive orders or cabinet decisions had been completed. These included compensation for the families of deceased persons, support for injured protesters, reinstatement of employees and the withdrawal of FIRs.
He argued that development projects such as roads, tunnels, airports, electrification schemes and healthcare infrastructure required longer implementation periods and could not reasonably be completed within a few months.
“Mega projects take years to complete, whether in Azad Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere in Pakistan,” he said, adding that repeated protests and long marches over ongoing development schemes were unjustified.
The minister said the government possessed documentary evidence, including notifications, ordinances, compensation records and feasibility studies, to substantiate its claims.
Rejecting allegations that the October 3 agreement had largely remained unimplemented, he maintained that 35 of its 38 clauses had either been completed or substantially acted upon, while the remaining provisions were either subject to court orders or constrained by practical considerations.
Dr Chaudhry urged all stakeholders to pursue dialogue instead of confrontation, stressing that violence was not a solution to political disputes.
He warned against attempts to create unrest in AJK and questioned whether such actions served the interests of Pakistan, AJK or the broader Kashmir cause. “The solution to these issues is not violence,” he said, adding, “The solution is dialogue. We cannot allow law and order to deteriorate or innocent lives to be lost.”Read More
