MUZAFFARABAD:
Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said on Friday that his government has no plan to start a confrontation with Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
“Our government has implemented 75 per cent of the 39-point agreement signed with the JAAC,” he said, adding that public frustration has significantly declined since his administration assumed office.
Addressing a news conference at the Prime Minister Secretariat, Rathore said the government was formed on November 11, and within just one and a half months, large public gatherings were organized in two divisions of AJK, helping 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 premier said, public frustration has markedly reduced, and the gates of both the Prime Minister Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office have remained open to the public.
“We know last two and half years of government had created the gulf between people and the rulers but now there is hustle and bustle across the AJK.”
The prime minister said the government re-established direct engagement with the people in a very short period, adding that the large public gatherings across AJK reflected a positive public response and strengthened trust in the political system. “The people have taken ownership 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 timeframe most points were completed within just one and a half months.
He said that resolving public issues had revived the political activity across AJK, adding that the current administration had restored connectivity between the government and the people.
He emphasized that decisions in the public interest were made without delay, highlighting that important public-oriented measures were approved during the fifth cabinet meeting and the assembly session. “Our goal is not political competition, but the resolution of public problems,” he said.
Rathore stressed that restoring public trust remains the government’s highest and top priority. He added that the PPP believes in resolving issues through dialogue and will not allow chaos or loss of human lives. “There is no room for any kind of adventurism from either the government or the JAAC sides,” he said.
He stressed the need for joint efforts to develop AJK as a hub of tourism and information technology.
Responding to a question, the prime minister said that the chief election commissioner and a senior member of the AJK Election Commission would be appointed next month to ensure timely elections scheduled for July 2026.
