Pak govt team holds second round of talks with protest leaders in PoK to end demonstrations

Islamabad, Oct 3 (PTI) A high-level government delegation on Friday held the second round of talks with the protest leaders in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in an effort to convince them to end the demonstrations that have claimed at least nine lives and injured hundreds.

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 delegation led by former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf held the first round of talks with the representatives of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), representing traders, local leaders and civil society activists.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that a second round of negotiations was held in Muzaffarabad.

“We fully support the rights of the people of Kashmir,” he said, maintaining that most of their demands, which were in the public interest, had already been accepted. “Constitutional amendments are required to fulfil the remaining few demands and talks are ongoing regarding that.” He said there was no room for violence. “We believe that violence is not the solution to any problem. We hope that the Action Committee will resolve all issues through peaceful dialogue,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said it is “deeply alarmed by the ongoing violence" in PoK, where at least nine people, including three police officers, have lost their lives and hundreds have been injured during protests.

“We strongly condemn the use of excessive force and the deaths of civilians and law enforcers alike, as well as communication blackouts,” the HRCP posted on X.

It said that while “dialogue is essential, it cannot be meaningful amid the continued political disenfranchisement of the region’s people. The right to peaceful protest must be upheld and grievances addressed transparently”. PTI SH  ZH ZH