MUZAFFARABAD:
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Chief Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Friday said his government has no plan to start a confrontation with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
“Our government has implemented 75 percent of the 39-point agreement signed with the JAAC,” he said, adding that public frustration has decreased significantly since his administration took office.
Addressing a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Rathore said the government was formed on November 11 and in just a month and a half, large public meetings were organized in two divisions of AJK, which helped restore public confidence in the political system.
The agreement with JAAC was signed on October 4, 2025, while the current government took office on November 11. Since then, the Prime Minister said, public frustration has reduced markedly and the doors of both the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office have remained open to the public.
“We know that the last two and a half years of government created a chasm between the people and the rulers, but now there is hustle and bustle all over AJK.”
The Prime Minister said the government re-established direct engagement with the people in a very short period, adding that large public gatherings across AJK reflected positive public response and strengthened confidence in the political system. “The people have taken charge of the government,” he said.
Rathore further said that implementation of the JAAC agreement was the government’s top priority and despite a three-month deadline, most of the points were completed in just one and a half months.
He said the resolution of public issues had revived political activity across AJK, adding that the current administration had restored connectivity between the government and the people.
He stressed that public interest decisions were taken without delay and highlighted that important public-oriented measures were approved during the fifth cabinet meeting and assembly session. “Our goal is not political competition, but the resolution of public problems,” he said.
Rathore emphasized that restoring public confidence remains the government’s top priority. He added that the PPP believes in solving problems through dialogue and will not allow chaos or loss of human life. “There is no room for any kind of adventurism on the part of either the government or the JAAC,” he said.
He highlighted the need for joint efforts to develop AJK as a tourism and information technology hub.
Replying to a question, the prime minister said the chief election commissioner and a senior member of the AJK Election Commission would be appointed next month to ensure timely holding of elections scheduled for July 2026.
