The recent situation in Azad Kashmir once again raises the question: in which direction is the leadership steering the people? Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement of a high-level negotiation committee is proof that the federal government sincerely and seriously wishes to move towards a peaceful resolution. The inclusion of all major political parties in this committee not only reflects national consensus but also demonstrates that at the state level, every force sees peace, dialogue, and reconciliation as the only way forward.
In such circumstances, the leadership of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) had a golden opportunity to channel its popular support in a positive direction and emerge as the true representatives of the people of Azad Kashmir. Sadly, their decisions and statements reflect the opposite reality.
The AAC has shifted its political strategy away from addressing the pressing concerns of the Kashmiri people and toward confrontation. Even after the formation of the negotiation committee, if the leadership insists on strikes and protests, the results can hardly be in the public’s favor. The solution to people’s problems does not lie in sloganeering or indefinite agitation on the streets, but in serious negotiations and policy-level decisions. Unfortunately, the AAC leadership has not prioritized this path, choosing instead an approach that fuels more unrest than peace.
It must also be remembered that the AAC is not the property of any one person or family; it is a public platform. The cost of its decisions is borne by the entire region. When its leadership avoids state-level negotiations for reasons of personal ego or political gain, they are not merely opposing the government, they are directly harming the Kashmiri cause itself. This is the same cause for which three generations in Occupied Kashmir have sacrificed their lives, dignity, and youth. To sit in Azad Kashmir and reduce politics to strikes and disruption is, in truth, an injustice to those sacrifices.
It is also no secret that a leaked memo has revealed the presence of elements within the AAC who had received instructions from Indian operatives to incite unrest. If the leadership ignores this fact and continues to insist on strikes, they are pushing the people onto a path shaped by foreign agendas rather than the true aspirations of the Kashmiri population. The leadership must realize that following a foreign script is not resistance, it is betrayal.
The government has taken steps at the national level: forming a high-powered committee, bringing all major political parties on board, and opening the doors of dialogue. This clearly shows that at the state level, the chosen path is not the politics of division but of peace and reconciliation. If despite this, the AAC leadership shies away from the negotiation process, it sends a clear message: they are not interested in solving public issues, but in using chaos to inflate their political stature.
The people of Kashmir must now ask themselves what their real priorities are. Do they want endless strikes and shutdowns, or do they want jobs, education, healthcare, and security? Their true preference is undoubtedly for a peaceful and prosperous life. Such a life can only be achieved if the leadership demonstrates maturity, distances itself from foreign agendas, and engages in dialogue to resolve issues.
The leaders of the AAC should remember that the politics of protest and shutdowns may bring short-term gains, but its long-term consequences are always borne by the public in the form of losses. Closing markets, abandoning educational institutions, and forcing people onto the streets do not solve problems. On the contrary, these actions foster despair and uncertainty among the population.
The decision now lies in the hands of the AAC leadership. If they truly wish to serve the Kashmiri people, they must knock on the door of dialogue and adopt the path of peaceful resolution. If they persist with strikes and confrontation, history will remember them not as the representatives of the Kashmiri people, but as leaders who betrayed their cause.
There is still hope that the AAC leadership will change course, resist foreign influences, and truly understand the struggles of the Kashmiri people by becoming part of serious negotiations. That is the only way to ensure peace, prosperity, and public security in Azad Kashmir. The path of division and unrest can only lead to harm, while dialogue and reconciliation can shape a brighter future for the people.
The time has come for the leadership to recognize its responsibilities, become the genuine representatives of the people, and lay the foundation of hope, peace, and stability for future generations.
