ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Sunday drew attention to the coinciding dates of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march on Islamabad and the protest call by the banned Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJACC).
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry noted that the JKJACC had scheduled its protest for the same day as the PTI’s march, emphasizing that the people of Kashmir had rejected the JKJACC’s demonstration. He pointed out that elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir were conducted in three phases, during which the banned JKJACC failed to meet its objectives.
“We had raised multiple concerns about the banned JKJACC publicly,” Chaudhry stated. In a significant development, he also accused a neighboring country of exploiting proxies following its defeat, though he refrained from naming the country.
Chaudhry’s comments came as the PTI confirmed it would proceed with its long march on Islamabad after government-opposition negotiations collapsed early Sunday. The minister indicated that the government would soon disclose details explaining why the talks with PTI did not succeed.
The two sides engaged in marathon discussions over two days in an effort to prevent the PTI’s October 4 march, but failed to reach consensus on critical issues. Chaudhry criticized the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for prioritizing political gains over its duties.
One major sticking point during the negotiations was the counterterrorism policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government sought commitments from the provincial administration to cooperate with federal authorities and security forces in combating terrorism. However, the PTI insisted that counterterrorism strategies in the province should be formulated through consultations involving both federal and provincial governments along with other stakeholders.
Further updates are expected as the situation develops.
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