TASS English
기타
정치
Novak instructs to use all available instruments to provide Russia with fuel
The Ministry of Energy presented support measures aimed at maintaining the balance in the domestic fuel market during the meeting
"PRESENTED" · 총 281건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 85,906건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.2(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,434건(5.2%)·중립 79,311건(92.3%)·부정 2,161건(2.5%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 15.3(중도 균형)입니다.
The Ministry of Energy presented support measures aimed at maintaining the balance in the domestic fuel market during the meeting
“Forsaken,” Vincent Garenq’s drama inspired by the harrowing true story of French teacher Samuel Paty, has sold in major markets around of the world following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Represented internationally by TF1 Studio, the movie has also been having a healthy run at the local box office, selling over 500,000 […]
MANILA, Philippines — Levito Baligod, the legal counsel of the supposed former employees of former Congressman Zaldy Co, said on Monday that the affidavit presented by National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag is “fake.” Matibag earlier presented a sworn statement and affidavit claiming that the 18 individuals, who say they are Co’s bagmen, were
The Mets’ starting pitchers have delivered recently with some strong outings, including Christian Scott’s performance against the Padres over the weekend. At a time when the lineup is struggling, the rotation has provided much-needed stability.
Should the Mets believe in Manaea’s improved stuff? We break down what Manaea’s velocity increase means for his effectiveness, and whether fans should view this as a sustainable turnaround or wait for a larger sample size before drawing conclusions.
The Mets have won 7 of their last 10 games and suddenly look much more competitive than they did just a few weeks ago. But should Mets fans actually believe this recent stretch of success? This week on Straight Outta Flushing, Dexter Henry is joined by Andrew Claudio of Just Mets to break down whether...
The beaches of Tel Aviv stayed crowded, and volleyball continued on the sand, while missiles flew toward Israel and sirens sounded in the country on Sunday evening and early Monday. This represented Tehran’s first direct strike since the fragile ceasefire that followed the spring escalation. Israeli officials said that missiles were intercepted or landed in […]
ISLAMABAD: The Senate has surrendered Rs1.436 billion to the national exchequer after a year-long austerity drive, exceeding the Finance Division’s target by 500 per cent and setting what officials called a new benchmark for fiscal discipline. The amount makes up 15.9pc of the upper house’s total budget for 2025-26, according to a statement issued by the Senate Secretariat on Monday. Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani ordered the expenditure rationalisation programme within his own office before extending it across the secretariat. Gilani said the Rs1.436bn represented “actual, realised savings” and not projected cuts or deferred liabilities. Among the measures, the Senate suspended 17 of the 18 procurement projects approved by its finance committee. Recruitment and non-essential spending were rationalised, while administrative overheads and operational costs were placed under “strict scrutiny”. The official transport fleet was “substantially grounded”, fuel allocations were capped and monitored, and refreshments at meetings were discontinued. Committee proceedings were shifted to digital and virtual platforms to cut logistics costs and all non-essential foreign visits were suspended. Despite an allocation of Rs60m for new vehicles this year, “not a single vehicle was procured”, the statement said. Additionally, on the chairman’s proposal, the Senate Finance Committee decided to forgo the allocation for the replacement of condemned official vehicles in the next fiscal year, a move expected to save a further Rs140m. “Public office is a sacred fiduciary trust,” Gilani was quoted as saying. He added that the austerity drive was not a one-time exercise but part of a continuing commitment to “responsible governance and fiscal prudence”. “Every rupee saved is a rupee returned to the people of Pakistan, in whose trust public resources are held,” the chairman said. By placing the figures on public record, the Senate said it aimed to promote confidence in state institutions at a time when “economic prudence and efficient utilisation of public funds are national imperatives”. “These savings are the cumulative result of sustained reforms and disciplined financial management undertaken over time. By placing these figures on public record, the Senate seeks to promote transparency, accountability, and public confidence in state institutions,” the statement said. The chairman has made it clear that this is not a one-time initiative but part of a continuing commitment to responsible governance, fiscal prudence, and the highest standards of public service. “Every rupee saved is a rupee returned to the people of Pakistan, in whose trust public resources are held,” Gilani was quoted as saying. Separately, the National Assembly Secretariat has saved Rs4.5bn — or 27.3 per cent of its budget — for the current financial year through austerity measures, right-sizing and institutional modernisation, according to Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
Leo voices also concern over re-armament presented as inevitable
Hawk Lieutenant Colonel Nkoana Sebola presented a text message that links businessman Tumelo Nku and police officers to disputed Aeroton cocaine bust
The Chief Minister also presented a cheque for ₹50 lakh to him
Ashok Gehlot dismissed claims that the 2022 Rajasthan crisis was a revolt, calling it a conspiracy that damaged his image and misrepresented his intentions.
[Politics] : Anchor: President Lee Jae Myung laid out his vision to make South Korea an irreplaceable country on the global stage as he marked the first anniversary of his inauguration with a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae. Looking forward, Lee presented new national goals, including establishing the country as ... [more...]
• Victim’s eyes damaged, but is said to be in stable condition • CM honours ward boy who helped victim; Aseefa recommends him for country’s highest civilian award • FIR registered; political leaders slam incident QUETTA: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) on Sunday announced an indefinite strike, shutting down Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) and elective services in all government hospitals across the provincial capital, to protest the acid attack on one of their female colleagues. A day earlier, 29-year-old Mahnoor Nasir was seriously injured at the Civil Hospital when another employee threw acid on her. The attacker, later identified by police as Humayun Shah, was said to have been killed in an encounter after law enforcers traced him as he attempted to flee on a bus. Meanwhile, Dr Nasir was shifted to Karachi after receiving initial treatment in Quetta. Currently, she is receiving care at Aga Khan University Hospital. Sources at the hospital diclosed to Dawn that her condition was stable. She has bilateral corneal opacities — a condition in which the clear surface of the eye becomes scarred — but her vision remains preserved, according to the sources. The plastic surgeon and ophthalmologist had been consulted to examine her, they added. Meanwhile, hospital employee Abdul Razzaq, who could be seen trying to help the injured doctor in CCTV footage of the incident, was discharged from a private hospital in Quetta, where he was being treated for burn injuries. ‘Selfless gallantry’ Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Sunday visited Karachi to inquire after the injured doctor, and announced that a civil award would be conferred on Razzaq. In a post on X, CM Bugti said Mr Razzaq, who also works at the Civil Hospital, “displayed extraordinary courage, humanity, and dedication” by coming to his colleague’s aid. MNA Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the attack and said she requested President Asif Ali Zardari to confer the highest civilian award on Abdul Razzaq for his “selfless gallantry”, as per a statement by the President’s Secretariat. Senate Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan and Balochistan National Party-Mengal President Sardar Akhtar Mengal also strongly condemned the acid attack. Mr Khan described the attack as a cowardly, inhumane, and intolerable act. Taking to X, Mr Mengal said: “What happened to the female doctor in Quetta the other day goes against our traditions, over values, and everything Balochistan stands for.” Indefinite strike Strongly condemning the acid attack on Dr Nasir inside Civil Hospital premises, the YDA has announced an indefinite strike, shutting down OPDs and elective services in all government hospitals across the provincial capital. The decision was announced during a press conference on Sunday. YDA leaders expressed deep outrage over the incident, and blamed it on the privatisation of hospital management and security services. They questioned the police claim that the suspect was killed in an encounter, arguing that he should have been arrested alive so that all facts surrounding the attack could be thoroughly investigated. The YDA also presented a four-point charter of demands to the government and made the restoration of hospital services conditional upon their implementation. Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026
• Preliminary count has PPP ahead on 10 seats; PML-N has upper hand in six constituencies • Independents carve out leads on five seats; PTI-aligned candidates set to claim two districts; MWM ahead in one race • PPP, PTI complain of widespread irregularities PEOPLE cast their votes at a polling station during the Gilgit-Baltistan elections.—Dawn GILGIT: The PPP appeared to be leading in the unofficial, early tallies for 24 seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, even as political parties cried foul and levelled serious allegations of vote-rigging. The preliminary count from Sunday’s closely watched polls indicates the PPP is currently leading in 10 constituencies; with the PML-N ahead in six, and independent candidates holding the lead in five constituencies. Meanwhile, PTI-backed independent candidates, contesting without their party’s traditional electoral symbol, were ahead on two seats, while their ally, the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen, was leading the race in one constituency. According to unofficial and unverified results, shared by the Gilgit Baltistan Election Commission, PPP regional president Amjad Hussain is leading in GBA-1 (Gilgit), while former chief minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman of the PML-N is ahead in GBA-2 (Gilgit). PTI-backed independent Sohail Abbas is currently leading the GBA-3 (Gilgit) constituency. In Nagar, Muhammad Ali Akhtar is leading in GBA-4 and Zulfiqar Ali Murad is ahead in GBA-5. Across the Skardu district and neighbouring areas, the PPP was also leading in five additional seats: Syed Tauqeer Mehdi in GBA-7 (Skardu), Fida Muhammad Nashad in GBA-9 (Skardu), Nasir Ali Khan in GBA-10 (Rondu), Iqbal Hassan in GBA-11 (Kharmang), and Imran Nadeem in GBA-12 (Shigar). The MWM’s sole lead is in GBA-8 (Skardu), where Muhammad Kazim is ahead. The PML-N demonstrates concentrated support in the Astore district, where Rana Farman Ali and Rana Muhammad Farooq are leading in GBA-13 and GBA-14, respectively. The party is also ahead through Kifayat ur Rehman in GBA-18 (Tangir), Abdul Jahan in GBA-20 (Ghizer), and Muhammad Ibrahim in GBA-22 (Ghanche). Independent candidates are currently leading across Diamer, Yasin, and Ghanche. Muhammad Dilpazir and Imam Malik are ahead in GBA-15 and GBA-16 in Diamer. In Yasin, Aman Ali is leading in GBA-21, while independents Anwar and Asad Shafiq are holding leads in GBA-23 and GBA-24 in Ghanche. Rounding out the preliminary results, PTI-backed independent Naik Nam Karim is leading in GBA-6 (Hunza). In Darel, PPP’s Muhammad Naseem is ahead in GBA-17, and his party colleague Syed Jalal is leading in GBA-19 in Ghizer. Rigging allegations Despite their early lead, the PPP was among the parties most vocal in their complaints of alleged irregularities and rigging. Both the PPP and the PTI separately accused officials of delaying the release of official paperwork used to verify results at the polling-station level. PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari alleged that presiding officers refused to provide Form-45, the official vote count prepared at each polling station. “We have contacted the chief election commissioner and informed him about the matter,” Bukhari said in a statement. PPP spokesperson Shazia Marri called the delay unacceptable, adding that altered voter lists and shifted polling stations indicated systemic rigging. The PPP, which is a coalition partner in the federal government, alleged that the Balachi polling station in Astore-II’s Bunji area was relocated from a roadside to a hilltop overnight, prompting residents to block the Gilgit-Skardu Road in protest. Concurrently, the PTI, whose candidates ran as independents after the party lost its electoral symbol, also alleged manipulation after initially claiming its candidates were ahead in several constituencies. In a statement, the party said its candidates were leading until 7pm, after which “suspicious results” began to emerge, including reported turnouts above 80 per cent and individual ballot boxes containing “700 to 800 votes”. It further said, “This is a blot on the entire electoral process and its transparency.” The PTI also alleged that its polling agents were not being issued Form-46, terming it a “clear violation of election laws that has further intensified fears of result manipulation”. It said reports had emerged of members of other parties being caught red-handed with fake ballot papers in multiple areas, including Nagar. “This rigging is part of a well-planned and systematic conspiracy,” the party has claimed. It alleged that before polling, voter lists were tampered with in specific constituencies, police and administration were used to change delimitation and polling schemes, and opposition candidates and workers were “systematically harassed and pressurised”. The PTI warned that any attempt to manipulate the results would have serious consequences. “PTI will employ every constitutional, legal, and democratic avenue to protect the votes of its supporters. We demand that authentic results from all polling stations be released immediately, Form-45 and Form-46 be provided to every candidate without delay, a swift inquiry be conducted into suspicious polling stations with strict action against those responsible, and the Election Commission fulfil its constitutional duty by ensuring complete transparency,” the party stated. The sharp accusations came after officials earlier presented a more positive picture of the voting process. Gilgit-Baltistan’s chief election commissioner, Raja Shahbaz Khan, visited about 10 polling stations across Gilgit city and said security arrangements were satisfactory. He also noted a high turnout among women, with 396,937 registered female voters in the region. Caretaker interior minister Sajid Ali Baig similarly described the day as generally peaceful, though he acknowledged minor irregularities and said authorities had responded quickly. The election was held after a four-month delay attributed to harsh winter weather. In total, 396 candidates contested the vote, including 266 independents and eight women, competing for 24 of the assembly’s 33 seats. Officials said 963,034 registered voters were eligible to cast ballots across 10 districts. The highly competitive race featured 23 candidates from the PPP, 22 from the PML-N, and a 22-candidate alliance between the PTI and Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen. Attention has now turned to the outcome and the likely contest for the chief ministership. Among the leading contenders are the PPP’s regional president, Amjad Hussain, contesting from GBA-1, and the PML-N’s regional president, Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, contesting from GBA-2 Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026
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PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, whose party holds the majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, said on Sunday he would meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the current situation in AJK, asserting that issues would be resolved through talks. He said this while presiding over a meeting of the PPP AJK parliamentary party in Islamabad, a statement issued by the PPP said. The meeting was held as tensions gripped AJK, with the region’s government declaring the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a proscribed organisation and the latter insisting on its demand to abolish 12 refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly. The group also plans to hold a protest on June 9, days ahead of June 27 elections in the region. The PPP statement said the party’s political affairs in-charge Faryal Talpur was also present at the meeting on Sunday where the political situation in AJK was reviewed. “Consultations were held between Bilawal and parliamentary party members regarding the AJK situation,” it said, adding that parliamentary party members gave recommendations to Talpur on the matter. According to the statement, Bilawal expressed concern over the situation in AJK. “We have always prioritised the issues of Kashmiris,” he was quoted as saying. He added that political issues should be resolved through negotiations. “I will meet PM Shehbaz and a solution to the issues would be found through talks and the assembly,” he said. The meeting was held as AJK police sealed the head office of the JAAC, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. A day earlier, AJK authorities launched a crackdown on the JAAC, arresting scores of its leaders and activists from different areas. On Friday, the AJK government declared JAAC a proscribed organisation, days ahead of a planned protest by the group scheduled for June 9, stating that it was “engaged in terrorism” and had acted in a manner “prejudicial to peace and security” of the state. The group’s latest protest call centres on a highly contentious demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. JAAC alleges that these seats were often used by mainstream Pakistani political parties to influence the formation of governments in Muzaffarabad. On Thursday, the AJK Legislative Assembly strongly defended the status quo, backing the refugee seats and calling for elections to proceed on schedule. Meanwhile, Islamabad dispatched federal paramilitary forces to reinforce the region’s thinly stretched police force. AJK authorities have also advised intending visitors to postpone their trips until June 20, citing security concerns ahead of the planned protests. ‘Most demands fulfilled’ Earlier on Sunday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry maintained that most of the Joint Awami Action Committee’s (JAAC) demands, agreed between the JAAC and the government last October, had been fulfilled. “Thirty-five out of 38 demands have been implemented,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. About the remaining demands, he said the courts had issued an order regarding some and others were not feasible. He claimed “negative propaganda is being spread that the government has fulfilled only three out of 38 demands,” emphasising that the solution to the issues could not be “violent demonstrations” and dialogue should be the way forward. The minister asked if the unrest was an attempt at “portraying Pakistan and AJK as separate entities; is it an attempt to weaken Pakistan’s relation with AJK; is it an attempt to create hatred between refugees from India-occupied Kashmir and the people of AJK; and lastly, is this an attempt to weaken the Kashmir cause?” He claimed that the government had not disregarded the JAAC’s demands; however, he pointed out that, “when we talk to them about resolving issues through dialogue, they respond with violent demonstrations; these are two contradictory approaches”. “The clauses that are yet to be implemented, we can still sit down and talk about them,” he said, reiterating that the solution was not violence and taking law and order into one’s hands. At the outset of the press conference, Chaudhry said that certain actors were attempting to create unrest ahead of the July 27 elections in AJK. “Attempts are being made that the violent protests that have happened in the region in the past can be revived,” Chaudhry said, recalling the unrest in the region in September-October 2025. He recalled that the JAAC was formed in September 2023 and at the time, they had three demands: subsidy on flour, decrease in electricity prices and reduction in elite privileges. “As a result of that, we saw a shutter-down strike in 2024 in AJK, accompanied by violent demonstrations,” the minister recalled, stating that the government had fulfilled all the demands at the time. He further stated that the demonstrations broke out again in September 2025, and a charter of demands was presented, listing 38 clauses, following which the government signed an agreement with the JAAC on October 4. He added that he, along with the Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, had been holding monthly meetings with JAAC to review progress on the agreement. However, JAAC still put out a fresh call for protests on June 9, he noted. Chaudhry recalled that on May 30, a committee comprising federal ministers met the JAAC in Muzaffarabad, where the demand for abolishing 12 refugee seats was put forward. He said that the government’s representatives had also suggested that an all parties meeting be called to debate the matter. “Around 2-2.2 million Kashmiri refugees are living in Pakistan, and 12 people sitting in a closed room cannot abolish those seats,” the minister asserted, adding that the JAAC’s other demands related to public welfare had been fulfilled. Chaudhry also said the government’s representatives suggested that the issue should be discussed in the AJK Legislative Assembly or taken to the AJK Supreme Court. “We requested [during the May 30 meeting] that the June 9 protest be postponed by 8-10 days so that we may hold consultations with our senior leadership and work towards a solution,” the minister said, affirming that the government had never refused to discuss the status of the seats. Asserting that 35 out of JAAC’s 38 demands had been fulfilled by the government, including withdrawal of first information reports (FIR) against JAAC demonstrators, reinstating government employees who took part in the demonstrations, a feasibility study on the Kahuta Azad Pattan road in the Sandhoti district, procurement of electricity meters via e-tenders, internet connectivity issues, and establishment of a garbage collection system. As per the minister, some of the other demands fulfilled by the government included amendments in the local government laws, establishment of two new federal boards, and restoration of the health card facility for AJK, among others. He added that while many of the demands in the agreement could be implemented through executive orders — around 18-19 — the rest included ongoing development projects which “cannot be completed within 3-4 months”. “It is not justified to hold long marches every six months under such circumstances,” the minister said.
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PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, whose party holds the majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, said on Sunday he would meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the current situation in AJK, asserting that issues would be resolved through talks. He said this while presiding over a meeting of the PPP AJK parliamentary party in Islamabad, a statement issued by the PPP said. The meeting was held as tensions gripped AJK, with the region’s government declaring the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a proscribed organisation and the latter insisting on its demand to abolish 12 refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly. The group also plans to hold a protest on June 9, days ahead of June 27 elections in the region. The PPP statement said the party’s political affairs in-charge Faryal Talpur was also present at the meeting on Sunday where the political situation in AJK was reviewed. “Consultations were held between Bilawal and parliamentary party members regarding the AJK situation,” it said, adding that parliamentary party members gave recommendations to Talpur on the matter. According to the statement, Bilawal expressed concern over the situation in AJK. “We have always prioritised the issues of Kashmiris,” he was quoted as saying. He added that political issues should be resolved through negotiations. “I will meet PM Shehbaz and a solution to the issues would be found through talks and the assembly,” he said. The meeting was held a day after AJK authorities launched a crackdown on the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), arresting scores of its leaders and activists from different areas. On Friday, the AJK government declared JAAC a proscribed organisation, days ahead of a planned protest by the group scheduled for June 9, stating that it was “engaged in terrorism” and had acted in a manner “prejudicial to peace and security” of the state. The group’s latest protest call centres on a highly contentious demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. JAAC alleges that these seats were often used by mainstream Pakistani political parties to influence the formation of governments in Muzaffarabad. On Thursday, the AJK Legislative Assembly strongly defended the status quo, backing the refugee seats and calling for elections to proceed on schedule. Meanwhile, Islamabad dispatched federal paramilitary forces to reinforce the region’s thinly stretched police force. AJK authorities have also advised intending visitors to postpone their trips until June 20, citing security concerns ahead of the planned protests. ‘Most demands fulfilled’ Earlier on Sunday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry maintained that most of the Joint Awami Action Committee’s (JAAC) demands, agreed between the JAAC and the government last October, had been fulfilled. “Thirty-five out of 38 demands have been implemented,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. About the remaining demands, he said the courts had issued an order regarding some and others were not feasible. He claimed “negative propaganda is being spread that the government has fulfilled only three out of 38 demands,” emphasising that the solution to the issues could not be “violent demonstrations” and dialogue should be the way forward. The minister asked if the unrest was an attempt at “portraying Pakistan and AJK as separate entities; is it an attempt to weaken Pakistan’s relation with AJK; is it an attempt to create hatred between the people of refugees from India-occupied Kashmir and the people of AJK; and lastly, is this an attempt to weaken the Kashmir cause?” He claimed that the government had not disregarded the JAAC’s demands; however, he pointed out that, “when we talk to them about resolving issues through dialogue, they respond with violent demonstrations; these are two contradictory approaches”. “The clauses that are yet to be implemented, we can still sit down and talk about them,” he said, reiterating that the solution was not violence and taking law and order into one’s hands. At the outset of the press conference, Chaudhry said that certain actors were attempting to create unrest ahead of the July 27 elections in AJK. “Attempts are being made that the violent protests that have happened in the region in the past can be revived,” Chaudhry said, recalling the unrest in the region in September-October 2025. He recalled that the JAAC was formed in September 2023 and at the time, they had three demands: subsidy on flour, decrease in electricity prices and reduction in elite privileges. “As a result of that, we saw a shutter-down strike in 2024 in AJK, accompanied by violent demonstrations,” the minister recalled, stating that the government had fulfilled all the demands at the time. He further stated that the demonstrations broke out again in September 2025, and a charter of demands was presented, listing 38 clauses, following which the government signed an agreement with the JAAC on October 4. He added that he, along with the Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, had been holding monthly meetings with JAAC to review progress on the agreement. However, JAAC still put out a fresh call for protests on June 9, he noted. Chaudhry recalled that on May 30, a committee comprising federal ministers met the JAAC in Muzaffarabad, where the demand for abolishing 12 refugee seats was put forward. He said that the government’s representatives had also suggested that an all parties meeting be called to debate the matter. “Around 2-2.2 million Kashmiri refugees are living in Pakistan, and 12 people sitting in a closed room cannot abolish those seats,” the minister asserted, adding that the JAAC’s other demands related to public welfare had been fulfilled. Chaudhry also said the government’s representatives suggested that the issue should be discussed in the AJK Legislative Assembly or taken to the AJK Supreme Court. “We requested that June 9 call be postponed by 8-10 days so we can hold consultations with our senior leadership and work towards a solution,” the minister said, affirming that the government had never refused to discuss the status of the seats. Asserting that 35 out of JAAC’s 38 demands had been fulfilled by the government, including withdrawal of first information reports (FIR) against JAAC demonstrators, reinstating government employees who took part in the demonstrations, a feasibility study on the Kahuta Azad Pattan road in the Sandhoti district, procurement of electricity meters via e-tenders, internet connectivity issues, and establishment of a garbage collection system. As per the minister, some of the other demands fulfilled by the government included amendments in the local government laws, establishment of two new federal boards, and restoration of the health card facility for AJK, among others. He added that while many of the demands in the agreement could be implemented through executive orders — around 18-19 — the rest included ongoing development projects which “cannot be completed within 3-4 months”. “It is not justified to hold long marches every six months under such circumstances,” the minister said.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, whose party holds the majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, said on Sunday he would meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the current situation in AJK, asserting that issues would be resolved through talks. Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry maintained that most of the Joint Awami Action Committee’s (JAAC) demands, agreed between the JAAC and the government last October, had been fulfilled. “Thirty-five out of 38 demands have been implemented,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. Of the three remaining demands out of the total 38, the minister said that “on some of them, courts had issued an order, and others were not feasible”. He claimed “negative propaganda was being spread that the government has fulfilled only three out of 38 demands,” emphasising that the solution to the issue cannot be “violent demonstrations” and dialogue should be the way forward. The minister asked if the unrest was an attempt at “portraying Pakistan and AJK as separate entities; is it an attempt to weaken Pakistan’s relation with AJK; is it an attempt to draw parallels between the people of India-occupied Kashmir and AJK, and lastly, is this an attempt to weaken the Kashmir cause?” He claimed that the government had not disregarded the JAAC’s demands; however, he pointed out that, “when we talk to them about resolving issues through dialogue, they respond with violent demonstrations; these are two contradictory approaches”. “The clauses that are yet to be implemented, we can still sit down and talk about them,” he said, reiterating that the solution was not violence and taking law and order into one’s hands. At the outset of the press conference, Chaudhry said that certain actors were attempting to create a situation of unrest ahead of the July 27 elections in AJK. “Attempts are being made that the violent protests that have happened in the region in the past can be revived,” Chaudhry said, recalling the unrest in the region in September-October 2025. He recalled that the JAAC was formed in September 2023 and at the time, they had three demands: subsidy on flour, decrease in electricity prices and reduction in elite privileges. “As a result of that, we saw a shutter-down strike in 2024 in AJK, accompanied by violent demonstrations,” the minister recalled, stating that the government had fulfilled all the demands at the time. He further stated that the demonstrations broke out again in September 2025 and a charter of demands was presented, listing 38 clauses, following which the government signed an agreement with the JAAC on October 4. He added that he, along with the Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, Amir Muqam, have been holding monthly meetings with JAAC to review progress on the agreement. However, JAAC still put out a fresh call for protests on June 9, he noted. Chaudhry recalled that on May 30, a committee comprising federal ministers met the JAAC in Muzaffarabad, where the demand for abolishing 12 refugee seats was put forward. He said that government’s representatives suggested that an all-parties conference for every registered political party in AJK be called and the issue be debated, given the constitutional nature of the demand. “Around 2-2.2 million Kashmiri refugees are living in Pakistan, and 12 people sitting in a closed room cannot abolish those seats,” the minister asserted, adding that the JAAC’s earlier demands had been related to public welfare and were fulfilled. Chaudhry also said the government’s representatives suggested that the issue should be discussed in the AJK legislative assembly. It was also suggested that the status of the seats can be contested in the AJK Supreme Court, the minister added. “We requested that June 9 call be postponed by 8-10 days so we can hold consultations with our senior leadership and work towards a solution,” the minister said, affirming that the government had never refused to discuss the status of the seats. Chaudhry took note of what he called a “false narrative” circulating on social media that the government had failed to meet all the demands outlined in the October 2025 agreement with the JAAC. The minister said that 35 out of the 38 demands had been fulfilled by the government, including withdrawal of first information reports (FIR) against demonstrators, reinstating government employees who took part in the demonstrations, a feasibility study on the Kahuta Azad Pattan road in Sandhoti district, procurement of electricity meters via e-tenders, measures for floor quality, internet connectivity issues, establishment of a garbage collection system. As per the minister, some of the other demands fulfilled by the government included amendments in the local government laws, establishment of two new federal boards, and restoration of the health card facility of AJK, and Mirpur airport among others. He added that while many of the causes in the agreement could be implemented through executive orders — around 18-19 — the rest included ongoing development projects which “cannot be completed within 3-4 months”. “It is not justified to hold long marches every six months under such circumstances,” the minister said.