Maulana Fazlur Rehman Says Banned Joint Awami Action Committee Sought His Mediation on AJK Crisis
ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that a delegation from the banned Joint Awami Action Committee had approached him to mediate in the ongoing situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pledged to help resolve the issue regardless of any political consequences.
The remarks were made during a joint press conference following a meeting between the two leaders in Islamabad.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the Joint Awami Action Committee had sent a delegation requesting him to play a mediatory role amid the continuing protests in AJK. He added that Bilawal Bhutto had supported his mediation efforts in Parliament despite being part of the ruling coalition.
He said both leaders would jointly convey a message to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressing hope that the government would take positive steps to address the situation in Azad Kashmir.
The JUI-F chief also announced his support for an electoral alliance between JUI-F and the PPP in the upcoming AJK elections, saying he would back such cooperation.
Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal Bhutto praised Fazlur Rehman for his political role and said he had met him to discuss the ongoing protests in Kashmir. He noted that both their parties had extensive experience in dealing with political protests.
Bilawal urged the government to cooperate in resolving the Kashmir issue and emphasized the need for free and fair elections in Azad Kashmir.
He announced that the PPP and JUI-F would jointly contest the upcoming AJK elections, expressing hope that the two parties would form the next government together.
Bilawal also appealed to the Joint Awami Action Committee to avoid violating the law and the Constitution, stressing that political disputes should be resolved through dialogue rather than confrontation.
Expressing concern over content circulating on social media regarding Kashmir, he condemned inflammatory narratives and reiterated that negotiations remained the only viable path to resolving political disagreements.
Referring to the deadlock over refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly, Bilawal said protests and sit-ins would not resolve the issue. Instead, he argued, the matter could only be settled through a constitutional amendment passed by the legislative assembly.
He further revealed that the Joint Awami Action Committee had been invited to attend an All Parties Conference but did not participate. Bilawal said he was prepared to play any role necessary to help resolve the issue, “even if it means facing punishment,” adding that Kashmir is Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and has suffered significant damage in recent years.
