In a pivotal development for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the government of Pakistan and the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) signed a landmark agreement on October 4, ending six days of violent protests that had claimed at least 10 lives, with dozens more reported injured.

Described by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif as a resolution that “buried the conspiracies,” the deal seeks to address long-standing grievances over economic hardship and governance failures. Whether this agreement proves to be a turning point or merely postpones a satisfactory resolution of the underlying conflicts will depend entirely on its implementation.

Following two rounds of talks, the delegation led by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and including Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam and PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, announced a 15-day mechanism to meet key demands. The agreement promises compensation for those killed in the violence, equivalent to that given to security personnel, and Rs 1 million for those injured in the clashes. Additionally, a government job for one family member of each deceased protester has been promised, with appointments to be made within 20 days.

Cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act will be registered for acts of political violence, and judicial commissions will be formed where appropriate.

### Background of the Unrest

The unrest that paralyzed the region began on September 29, when the JAAC mobilized thousands of people across Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Led by Sardar Omer Nazir, Raja Amjad, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, and Anjum Zaman Awan, the committee presented a 38-point charter of demands. These demands ranged from free education and healthcare to major infrastructure projects.

At the heart of the movement were two deeply political issues: the discontinuation of elite privileges for top officials, and the abolition of 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir. JAAC leaders argue that this bloc has monopolized development funds and political power.

What began as a largely peaceful strike in support of the activists quickly deteriorated into street violence. On October 1 and 2, clashes between rival protesters and police in Muzaffarabad and Dhirkot turned deadly. Gunfire and teargas use left at least 10 people dead and dozens injured.

The JAAC condemned the deployment of Pakistan Rangers as unnecessary and unhelpful. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan criticized the use of excessive force and denounced the information blackout that followed. Pro-government rallies accused JAAC activism of being part of a foreign-backed conspiracy, deepening mistrust and polarization in the region.

### Context of the Current Movement

This latest wave of mobilization was neither spontaneous nor isolated. It marks the third major uprising in AJK in just two years and reflects a widening rift between the people and the government.

Earlier in May 2024, widespread protests over electricity tariffs, taxation, and resource distribution forced the government to pledge reforms and a judicial review of elite privileges. In December, the JAAC led another region-wide campaign against the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance, which sought to criminalize active dissent. Sustained pressure eventually forced the authorities to dilute the ordinance’s key provisions.

This sustained pattern of mobilization has transformed public discontent into a broad political movement. What began as issue-specific demonstrations has evolved into a challenge to the power dynamics between AJK and Islamabad. The JAAC now cuts across party lines and socio-economic divides, uniting citizens around narratives of dignity, accountability, and democratic participation.

### Structural Challenges and Governance Issues

At its core, the current unrest is part of a reckoning with decades of unresponsive governance. The JAAC’s transformation from a pressure group into a decisive political actor capable of shaping state-society relations highlights deep-rooted structural problems in AJK’s political order.

Despite its own institutions, AJK’s administration functions largely as an extension of the government in Islamabad rather than being truly representative of local interests. Major decisions on resource allocation, development priorities, and governance are rarely shaped by local considerations.

This over-centralization has weakened democratic accountability and entrenched political dependency. The exclusion of local voices from policymaking means that policies and projects directly affecting communities are often conceived without meaningful consultation, resulting in poor outcomes and reinforcing the perception that AJK’s people are governed rather than represented.

Until these structural imbalances are addressed, periodic protests are likely to persist, with each wave growing stronger than the last.

### The Path Forward

Treating grassroots dissent as a security threat or attributing it to foreign conspiracies may offer short-term political cover, but such tactics do nothing to address the structural inequities fueling public anger. Instead, they deepen mistrust and push the region further from stability.

The JAAC movement expresses demands far beyond subsidies and infrastructure; it embodies a long-simmering call for dignity, accountability, and meaningful representation—demands that have gone unmet for decades.

Unless these root causes are addressed, the current 15-day mechanism and compensation packages will remain mere stopgap measures.

The stakes are higher than ever. Addressing the crisis in AJK requires more than short-term firefighting; it demands a fundamental rethinking of how the region is governed. If ignored, the growing public pressure might inspire similar movements elsewhere.

Coercion may suppress dissent temporarily, but only genuine governance can resolve it.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1350029-addressing-grassroots-anxieties