Islamabad [Pakistan], October 3 : A second round of negotiations between the Pakistan government's negotiation team and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was held in Muzaffarabad on Friday, as efforts continue to ease the escalating unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Dawn reported.
The talks come at a critical time, following the breakdown of earlier negotiations last week between JAAC, the PoJK government, and federal ministers. Disagreements over elite privileges and reserved seats for refugees led to a collapse in dialogue.
Since then, rival groups have staged protests across the region, with both sides trading blame for violent clashes that turned what began as a largely peaceful movement into a deadly conflict. At least 10 people have lost their lives in the violence, and many others have been critically injured, as per Dawn.
A fresh round of talks began on Thursday between a high-level government delegation and a civil society alliance. That meeting was followed by Friday's second round of talks in Muzaffarabad.
Sharing a post on X, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the government's committee was holding a second round of talks with the JAAC representatives in Muzaffarabad.
"We fully support the rights of the people of Kashmir," he said, maintaining that most of their demands, which were in the public interest, had already been accepted.
"Constitutional amendments are required to fulfil the remaining few demands, and talks are ongoing regarding that. We believe that violence is not the solution to any problem. We hope that the Action Committee will resolve all issues through peaceful dialogue," the minister said.
In an earlier post, he shared that PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf, Senator Rana Sanaullah, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf, Adviser to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, Masood Ahmed and Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam Chaudhry himself were part of the government's negotiating team.
As unrest continues to grip PoJK, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif voiced deep concern over the deteriorating situation on Thursday and directed the government's negotiation committee to immediately travel to the region's capital to find a swift and lasting resolution, according to Dawn.
The unrest, now stretching into its second week, has paralysed daily life across PoJK. A widespread shutdown strike and a near-total communications blackout have brought the region to a standstill, as the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) continues to press its demands.
Amid the worsening crisis, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a strong statement expressing alarm over the violence.
In a post on X, the commission said it was "deeply alarmed by the ongoing violence in PoJK, where reportedly at least nine people, including three police officers, have lost their lives and hundreds have been injured during protests."
"We strongly condemn the use of excessive force and the deaths of civilians and law enforcers alike, as well as communication blackouts," the HRCP posted on X.
The rights body also stressed that meaningful dialogue could not take place in an environment of repression. "Dialogue is essential, but it cannot be meaningful amid the continued political disenfranchisement of the region's people. The right to peaceful protest must be upheld and grievances addressed transparently."
"We urge both the federal and PoJK governments to avoid further escalation, respect people's fundamental rights, and commit to genuine, inclusive negotiations. To this end, HRCP intends to send a fact-finding mission to PoJK as soon as possible to assess the situation," it added.
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