Pak govt signs agreement with protestors to end 5-day long standoff

The Pakistani government has finally reached an agreement with the protesters who led demonstrations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for several days, leading to multiple deaths.

Violence marred the peace of the region owing to a strike, which began on September 29, 2025, when talks broke down between officials and leaders of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), a representative body of protesters.

The protests came after 30 civilians were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following airstrikes by Pakistan Air Force J-17 fighter jets. As per a report by All India Radio, the jets were using Chinese-made LS-6 laser-guided bombs.

How did the negotiation take place?

The protesters had issued a charter of 38 points, urging the authorities to accept them or they would take to the roads, which they did eventually, leading to violent clashes with police that killed at least 10 people, including three police personnel. Hundreds of policemen and civilians were injured in the protests.

As the unrest widened, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dispatched a high-powered delegation to Muzaffarabad on Wednesday (October 1, 2025) to find a negotiated solution to the problem.

The team, led by former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, engaged in extensive discussions for two consecutive days, which concluded around midnight. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced on social media that an agreement had been reached between the two sides.

“Negotiating delegation has signed the final agreement with the Action Committee…. The protesters are returning to their homes. All roads have been reopened. This is a victory for peace,” he posted on X.

What are the points of agreement?

The copy of the agreement shared by Chaudhry on X showed that a detailed document with 25 points was signed to end the protest, including compensation for those killed in violence, registering cases of terrorism on the incidents of violence and vandalism resulting in deaths of police personnel and protesters.

The federal government also agreed to establish two additional intermediate and secondary education boards for the Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

It was decided that the local government would release funds within 15 days to implement health cards, ensuring free medical treatment for patients. Additionally, MRI and CT scan machines will be gradually installed in every district of PoK, with support from the federal government.

The federal government also committed PKR 10 billion toward upgrading PoK’s electricity infrastructure.

With inputs from PTI