Pak govt holds talks with protesters to end PoK unrest as death toll rises to 12

In a bid to defuse rising tensions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) that claimed the lives of 12 persons, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expanded a high-level negotiation committee to engage directly with protesting groups and address their long-standing demands.

The committee, comprising Senator Rana Sanaullah, Federal Ministers Sardar Yusuf and Ahsan Iqbal, former AJK President Masood Khan, and Qamar Zaman Kaira, on Thursday reached Muzaffarabad and held talks toward “an immediate and lasting solution”.

Sharif appealed to citizens to maintain peace, stressing that “peaceful protest was the constitutional and democratic right of every citizen", while urging law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint and avoid unnecessary harshness.

The PM also pledged to personally oversee the dialogue process upon his return to the country. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), leading the protests, has welcomed the offer for talks but demanded an immediate end to the communication blackout that has cut off mobile, internet, and landline services since September 28. JK-JAAC leaders have warned that ongoing restrictions and blockades on highways, which have disrupted essential supplies, have only intensified public anger.

The protests, rooted in the JK-JAAC’s 38-point Charter of Demands, call for governance reforms, greater accountability, social services expansion, infrastructure development, and an end to corruption and nepotism. Core Committee member Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri emphasized that the movement is peaceful and constitutional, aimed solely at ensuring justice and prosperity for the people of Azad Kashmir.

Since the unrest began on September 29, clashes between protesters and security forces have left at least 12 people dead, including nine civilians and three Kashmir police personnel, with hundreds more wounded. The government’s response has included the suspension of communication networks, roadblocks, and cases against activists and journalists, actions described by JK-JAAC leaders as violations of human rights and international law.

Nazir called on the international community to take notice, condemning what he termed “misleading narratives” by sections of the Pakistani media that conceal ground realities.