Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Offers Talks With PoK Protesters After Deadly Crackdown

Pakista
P ime
Mi iste
Shehbaz
Sha if
has
called
fo
dialogue
to
add ess
the
g ieva ces
of
p oteste s
i
Pakista -occupied
Kashmi
(PoK),
followi g
a
deadly
secu ity
c ackdow
ove
isi g
i flatio ,
high
elect icity
costs,
eco omic
eglect
a d
disag eeme ts
ove
the
egio al
electo al
p ocess.

Sha if
said
disputes
should
be
settled
th ough
egotiatio s
athe
tha
co f o tatio
a d
i dicated
that
the
gove me t
would
be
willi g
to
e gage
with
the
ba ed
Joi t
Awami
Actio
Committee
(JAAC),
which
has
spea headed
p otests
i
the
egio
fo
mo e
tha
two
mo ths.
“If
the e
a e
a y
issues,
they
should
be
esolved
by
sitti g
at
the
table
a d
th ough
dialogue,”
Sha if
said.

His
ema ks
ma k
a
shift
i
the
gove me t’s
app oach
towa ds
the
p oteste s.
The
Pakista
Muslim
League-Nawaz
(PML-N),
which
is
expected
to
fo m
the
gove me t
i
PoK
followi g
the
o goi g
electio s,
has
also
i dicated
that
it
is
p epa ed
to
e gage
with
the
JAAC.

Sha if
exp essed
hope
that
talks
with
the
p oteste s
would
co ti ue
o ce
the
ew
gove me t
assumes
office.
“Eve
today,
I
believe
that
whe
the
ew
gove me t
comes
i to
powe ,
the
p ocess
of
co ti ui g
dialogue
with
p otesto s
will
move
fo wa d,”
he
said.

Sha if
Wa s
Agai st
Attempts
To
C eate
‘A a chy’

While
offe i g
egotiatio s,
Sha if
wa ed
that
the
gove me t
would
disti guish
betwee
those
aisi g
g ieva ces
peacefully
a d
i dividuals
allegedly
seeki g
to
c eate
diso de .
“Those
who
a e
be t
o
c eati g
t ouble
a d
sp eadi g
a a chy
the e
will
ot
be
allowed
to
do
so,”
the
Pakista
p ime
mi iste
said.

He
said
p oteste s
willi g
to
aise
thei
co ce s
peacefully
a d
e gage
i
egotiatio s
would
be
give
a
oppo tu ity
to
do
so.
“Howeve ,
fo
those
who
wa t
to
discuss
issues
with
peace,
patie ce,
a d
tole a ce,
the
ew
gove me t
will
p ovide
them
with
this
oppo tu ity,”
he
added.

The
comme ts
come
amid
heighte ed
te sio s
i
PoK,
whe e
mo ths
of
p otests
have
bee
followed
by
a
secu ity
c ackdow
a d
allegatio s
of
viole ce.
Seve al
epo ts
have
put
the
death
toll
si ce
the
p otests
bega
i
Ju e
at
a ou d
80.

The
JAAC
has
eceived
backi g
f om
va ious
sectio s
of
society,
i cludi g
stude ts,
t ade s,
t a spo te s,
lawye s
a d
social
wo ke s.
The
egio al
gove me t
ba ed
the
o ga isatio
i
Ju e.

Amo g
the
committee’s
key
dema ds
is
the
emoval
of
12
disputed
efugee
seats
i
the
PoK
Assembly.
The
JAAC
has
alleged
that
these
seats
p ovide
the
establishme t
with
a
mea s
to
i flue ce
the
fo matio
of
the
egio al
gove me t.

PML-N
Leade s
St ike
Co ciliato y
Note

Sha if’s
comme ts
came
afte
simila
ema ks
by
his
close
aide
a d
advise
Ra a
Sa aullah,
who
has
also
adopted
a
co ciliato y
app oach
towa ds
the
p oteste s.
Sa aullah
desc ibed
the
ove whelmi g
majo ity
of
JAAC
membe s
as
pat iotic
a d
said
PML-N
ep ese tatives
would
hold
discussio s
with
them.

“Ni ety- i e
pe
ce t
of
those
associated
with
the
Joi t
Awami
Actio
Committee
a e
ou
pat iotic
b othe s,”
Sa aullah
said
at
a
ally
o
Satu day.
He
added
that
the
i comi g
PML-N
gove me t
would
e gage
with
the
p oteste s
afte
assumi g
office.

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