The Pakistan government has accepted all 38 demands put forth by the Jammu & Kashmir Apni Aman Committee (JAAC) on Saturday following days of violent protests that left nine people dead and hundreds injured.
The breakthrough was reportedly achieved after two rounds of high-level talks between the government representatives and JAAC, which has been spearheading the agitation.
The Pakistan government has agreed to a judicial probe into the deaths of protesters and the release of all detained demonstrators. A high-level committee will examine the legal feasibility of scrapping 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan also pledged an investment package of Rs 3,000 crore for PoK’s development, including the construction of an airport.
Violence broke out in the region following the call for a strike on September 29, forcing Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to send a group of ministers and other leaders to Muzaffarabad to find a negotiated solution to their grievances.
At least six civilians and three police personnel have been killed during the ongoing demonstrations in the region. Nearly 172 police personnel and around 50 civilians sustained injuries during the demonstrations.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had said it is “deeply alarmed by the ongoing violence” in PoK. “We strongly condemn the use of excessive force and the deaths of civilians and law enforcers alike, as well as communication blackouts. The right to peaceful protest must be upheld and grievances addressed transparently,” it had posted on X.
Earlier on Friday, India had slammed the Pakistani government for its brutal crackdown on protesters, saying that it must be held accountable for its “horrific” human rights violations.
“We have seen reports on protests in several areas of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including brutalities by Pakistani forces on innocent civilians,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “We believe that it is a natural consequence of Pakistan’s oppressive approach and its systemic plundering of resources from these territories, which remain under its forcible and illegal occupation,” he said.
“Pakistan must be held accountable for its horrific human rights violations,” he said, adding that Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh have always been and will remain an “integral part” of India.
