Four years after the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) launched widespread protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir over rising electricity tariffs and wheat flour subsidies, authorities say they have accepted almost all economic grievances.
However, they accuse the group of escalating its political demands.
According to official figures, the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)—the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed region—has accepted 37 of JAAC’s 38 demands. Twenty-four have been implemented, while 13 remain in progress, including energy pricing and subsidy reforms. Officials maintain this demonstrates the state's responsiveness to public concerns.
However, a major constitutional impasse remains over JAAC’s demand to abolish the 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir who reside in Pakistan. Authorities argue that this issue falls entirely outside the regional government's jurisdiction.
On 7 June 2026, the AJK Supreme Court ruled that these refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be dissolved without a full constitutional amendment. A conference of major political parties also rejected the proposal, while the Kashmir Refugees Council called for doubling the reserved seats from 12 to 24.
Government officials state that refugee representation has been integral to the region’s legal framework since 1947. The arrangement reflects Islamabad’s official stance that the entire former princely state remains disputed until a final decision is reached through a UN-backed plebiscite. Authorities maintain that eliminating these seats would dismantle this constitutional structure rather than resolve an administrative issue.
Officials further argue that while the region has an elected parliament, JAAC has bypassed formal political channels in favor of street demonstrations and strikes.
Government circles also assert that elements within the protest group are pursuing broader geopolitical objectives that challenge Pakistan’s constitutional position on Kashmir. Official sources confided to Afghanistan International that JAAC’s leadership is heavily influenced by members of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)—a group historically advocating for full independence for Kashmir from both India and Pakistan. Authorities allege these figures are using popular economic grievances to revive the weakened political movement.
With economic and subsidy agreements largely secured since 2022, government officials maintain that the remaining standoff is no longer about public services, but about core constitutional principles that cannot be altered through street pressure.
