Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK), June 18 — A member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bar Council, Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Advocate, has expressed optimism that tensions between the AJK government and the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee will be resolved within the next few days following progress in ongoing negotiations.
Addressing a press conference at the Kashmir Press Club in Mirpur on Thursday, he said the Bar Council had formed a high-powered committee of lawyers to facilitate dialogue between the two sides and help de-escalate the situation. He noted that the committee had already held discussions with both parties in Rawalakot and received encouraging responses.
He said there was hope the issue could be resolved within one or two days, adding that both sides had been urged to end sit-ins in view of the sanctity of the holy month of Muharram, stressing that the region could not afford further unrest or violence.
The press conference was also attended by District Bar Association Mirpur President Raja Babar Ali Khan Advocate, former DBA president Mahmood Palakvi Advocate, and Bar Council member Wasim Sabir Advocate.
Chaudhry Tariq Bashir said the Bar Council had earlier attempted mediation on June 2, and the situation that emerged on June 9 could have been avoided if recommendations had been accepted earlier. He said the Action Committee’s main demand was the withdrawal of its proscribed status, while it had assured negotiators it would restrict protest activity during Muharram.
He added that discussions with the AJK government had also produced positive signals, strengthening hopes for a negotiated outcome. He emphasized that dialogue remained the most appropriate way forward and urged both sides to resolve the matter peacefully.
District Bar Association President Raja Babar Ali Khan Advocate said the situation should be restored to the pre-June 5 position, reaffirming the legal fraternity’s commitment to peace and stability in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Former DBA president Mahmood Palakvi Advocate said Azad Kashmir could not afford prolonged instability, stressing that peace and harmony remained essential and that violence was never a solution to disputes.