Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has refuted media reports claiming that Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Anwarul Haq is being removed from office over his alleged lacklustre response to the recent unrest in the region.
Speaking to journalists in the federal capital, Chaudhry said there was no truth to the reports about the AJK premier’s removal, adding that neither a resignation nor any such move was under consideration. He further stated that no move had taken place in this regard.
وزیراعظم آزاد کشمیر کو ہٹائے جانے یا ان کے استعفی کے خبروں میں کوئی صداقت نہیں ہے pic.twitter.com/xTPeZPKqRx
— Dr. Tariq Fazal Ch. (@DrTariqFazal) October 8, 2025
Earlier, there were swirling reports that a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to remove AJK PM from office.
A section of media reported that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party would form a joint strategy for the future, following consultations held during the meeting chaired by the prime minister.
The decision to remove the AJK Premier was reportedly made due to his lackluster response to the recent unrest in the region, stated the reports, adding he failed to restore normalcy during the agitation, prompting the federal government to intervene and defuse tensions through negotiations with local leaders.
Read More: Azad Kashmir protests turn deadly: 9 dead, including 3 police officers in violent clashes
AJK has witnessed violent protests that have claimed nine lives and left dozens injured. Calm was eventually restored after a government committee held successful negotiations with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
The tense situation in AJK persisted for about a week, as the JAAC observed a shutter-down strike demanding reforms and improved public services in the region.
During the strike, AJK experienced a communications blackout, and incidents of violence were reported from Dhirkot and other areas. According to official figures, 172 policemen and 50 civilians sustained injuries in the clashes.
In response to the deteriorating situation, the government formed a two-member committee comprising Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Engr Amir Muqam to hold talks with the JAAC leadership in Muzaffarabad.
The JAAC presented a wide-ranging charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, and the scrapping of the quota system.
‘Historic’ 25-point accord to defuse tension
After days of protests and tension in AJK, a major breakthrough was achieved last week as the federal government, the AJK administration and the JAAC reached an agreement in what leaders hailed as a “historic settlement”.
The agreement covers 12 core and 13 additional points. Among the key provisions, families of those killed in the violence of October 1–2 will be compensated on par with security personnel and given government jobs, while the injured will receive Rs1 million each.
A judicial commission will be constituted to investigate the incidents of violence. Two new educational boards will be set up in Muzaffarabad and Poonch, linked to the Federal Board in Islamabad. Victims of the Mangla Dam expansion project will be handed possession of land within 30 days. Amendments to the 1990 Local Government Act will be enacted within 90 days.
Within 15 days, the AJK government will release funds for health cards, and MRI and CT scan machines will be provided in every district. The federal government will provide Rs10 billion to upgrade AJK’s electricity system.
Also Read: AJK action committee matters settled, agreement to be signed soon: Tariq Fazal Chaudhry
The AJK cabinet will be capped at 20 ministers and advisers, while the number of secretaries will not exceed 20. The accountability bureau and anti-corruption department will be merged and aligned with NAB laws. Feasibility studies will be conducted for two tunnels on the Kahori/Kamser and Chaplani Neelum roads.
A high-level committee will examine the issue of refugee assembly members, with their perks and funds suspended until the final report. All Kashmiris arrested during the October 2–3 protests will be released.
Additional clauses included judicial inquiries into incidents in Banjosa, Muzaffarabad, Palandri, Dhirkot, Mirpur and Rawalakot, setting a timeframe for the Mirpur International Airport project, harmonising property transfer taxes with Punjab and K-P, finalising feasibility studies for major water supply schemes, and establishing operating theatres and nurseries at Tehsil Headquarters hospitals alongside new bridge projects.
PM Shehbaz welcomed the success of the negotiation process in Azad Kashmir. Paying tribute to the members of the negotiation committee, the prime minister lauded their individual and collective efforts, terming the development a “great achievement for Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir”.
