Three former members of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on Monday formally announced their complete dissociation from the organization, declaring that they would continue working for public rights through peaceful, constitutional and lawful means.
Speaking at a crowded press conference in Mirpur, former JAAC members Gulnar Ahmed, Khawaja Shehzad Lone and Tahir Pehlwan said they had actively participated in the movement for public rights and played a significant role in highlighting public issues before the authorities while striving for their resolution.
They said the movement had achieved notable successes, including the provision of electricity at Rs. 3 per unit and wheat flour at Rs. 2,000 per maund for the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir through financial assistance provided by the Government of Pakistan. They added that negotiations on several other public issues had also been progressing peacefully.
The speakers alleged that the movement was subsequently diverted from the path of dialogue and negotiations toward confrontation and unrest. They maintained that when the movement began taking that direction, they decided to sever their ties with the organization.
Expressing regret over the subsequent violence, they claimed that the unrest resulted in the loss of innocent lives, which they described as deeply unfortunate.
Gulnar Ahmed, Khawaja Shehzad Lone and Tahir Pehlwan stated that they no longer had any affiliation with what they termed an “anarchic committee” and formally announced their separation from the banned organization.
Reaffirming their commitment to public welfare, they said they would continue advocating for the rights of the people through peaceful and democratic means while respecting the writ of the state and refraining from taking the law into their own hands.
The press conference was attended by dozens of supporters and local residents.
Meanwhile, the Mirpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), the apex representative body of the business community in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday strongly condemned what it described as the disruptive and divisive activities of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and urged traders across the region to continue their business operations without interruption.
The resolution was unanimously adopted during a meeting of the Chamber’s representatives, chaired by MCCI President Umar Jarral, APP Correspondent reported.
The meeting paid tribute to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif for their leadership in helping avert a large-scale conflict and a potential international crisis during a period of heightened regional tensions. Participants also appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts and foreign policy initiatives.
Expressing concern over the activities of the banned Awami Action Committee in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Chamber reaffirmed its support for the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights and the provision of essential public services. It acknowledged that peaceful protest within the ambit of the Constitution and the law is a democratic right of every citizen to voice legitimate grievances.
However, the resolution stressed that violence, lawlessness, public disorder, and any actions disrupting commercial and economic activities could not be justified under any circumstances. Such activities, it observed, undermine the economic stability and business environment of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Mirpur Chamber of Commerce appealed to traders and the wider business community throughout Azad Kashmir to keep markets and businesses open, ensure the uninterrupted continuation of economic activities, and refrain from participating in any unlawful or destabilizing actions that could adversely affect the region’s economy.