JKJAAC Plans Protest Marches Amid Stalemate in PoJK Talks

The JKJAAC, advocating for rights in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, is set to initiate protest marches after failed negotiations with the government. Despite preliminary discussions, no agreement was reached, prompting the civil society coalition to organize long marches towards the region's entry points in a bid to further their demands.

The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), a civil society coalition advocating for rights in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), announced its plan to organize protest marches on Saturday. This decision follows unsuccessful talks with the government, as reported by Dawn.

A ministerial team entered initial discussions with JKJAAC's core committee in Muzaffarabad on Thursday, following widespread strikes across the region. Despite a resultant partial strike on Friday, no progress was achieved, prompting JKJAAC's Shaukat Nawaz Mir to announce plans for long marches toward the entry points of the region.

Mir criticized the government's refusal to release detained activists, labeling it as an attempt to incite regional unrest. Meanwhile, PoJK Information Minister Pir Mazhar Saeed described JKJAAC's demands as inflexible but reiterated the government's willingness to continue meaningful dialogue. The local community remains divided over supporting the protest measures.

(With inputs from agencies.)