Bilawal receives JAAC response on reconciliation commission, says AJK PM to consult stakeholders on way forward

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday said he had received a response from the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to his letter proposing the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, adding that he would now consult key stakeholders to determine the way forward. The PPP has repeatedly called for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission amid protests in AJK. Over the past month, the regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues — most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947, which has resulted in protests across the region. In a post on X, Bilawal welcomed the group’s “willingness to accept the proposed commission” as a possible institutional mechanism to address the crisis, noting that the proposal had also been endorsed by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. “The loss of every precious life is a national tragedy.” The PPP chairman maintained that his “foremost priority” is to help bring an end to the “ongoing crisis” and provide relief to the region’s people and restore normal life in AJK as “soon as possible”. Bilawal said he would now consult Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, who would seek initial input from the federal government and other relevant stakeholders to determine whether there was sufficient common ground to move forward with a mutually agreed proposal. More to follow