Bilawal urges protesters to end AJK demonstrations peacefully

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday appealed to protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to wrap up their demonstrations peacefully, saying the expected Islamabad accord represented a significant moment and that continued unrest was hurting both Pakistan’s image and the Kashmiri cause.

In a statement, Bilawal said the unrest was unfolding at a time when international attention was focused on Pakistan. He warned that the situation was creating an opening for hostile elements and the India-Israel nexus to take advantage of developments. He also urged those who had taken the law into their own hands to surrender before local authorities and allow legal procedures to proceed.

Bilawal said political disputes and grievances should be addressed through democratic, constitutional and peaceful means, maintaining that Parliament and the political process — rather than street agitation — were the proper channels for resolving such matters. He added that the PPP had already asked the Election Commission to withdraw what he described as a premature election schedule, and said the party remained committed to finding a political way forward.

He further said the PPP would seek the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address pending grievances and move the matter toward what he called a just and lasting conclusion. Bilawal added that the people of Kashmir should not be pushed into repeated rounds of protest and uncertainty. He also said that if all stakeholders, including the federal government, agreed, the AJK government could review notifications issued regarding protesting groups at an appropriate stage.

Reiterating the need to balance accountability with fairness, Bilawal said there could be no compromise on the rule of law and on holding those involved in unlawful acts answerable. At the same time, he said people who had committed no wrongdoing should not suffer because of the actions of others.

Conflicting accounts of clashes

Tensions have intensified in AJK after recent deadly clashes produced rival accounts over casualties, governance complaints and political legitimacy. Official sources have confirmed at least seven deaths.

The latest unrest took place in areas including Rawalakot, where the recently proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had been staging a sit-in outside the Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot. According to AJK police, armed JAAC members opened fire on deployed law enforcement personnel in what they described as a planned attack, killing four personnel and injuring around 20 others.

JAAC has rejected that version of events, saying security forces used tear gas and fired shells toward the hospital. AJK police said three people linked to the JAAC and four law enforcement personnel were killed during the protests on Sunday. JAAC, however, said in a statement posted on X that seven people were killed and dozens were wounded when street firing took place in the dark after electricity was allegedly switched off.

Election dispute and earlier unrest

The confrontation on Sunday came amid a standoff between the AJK government and the JAAC after the announcement that elections in AJK would be held on July 27.

AJK’s 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees who left Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1947 and 1965 and now live across Pakistan. Of these, six seats are allotted to refugees from the Jammu division, whose population is about 434,000, while six are allocated to refugees from the Kashmir Valley, whose population is about 30,000. The arrangement is viewed by many as uneven.

The region also saw major turbulence in October last year, when protests led by the JAAC broke out over demands related to constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed during that unrest.