The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Wednesday stated that it had accepted and implemented in letter and spirit almost all points of its agreement with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) that fell within its jurisdiction, adding that issues relating to the federal government could take some time. The federal government on October 4, 2025, signed an agreement with the JAAC to end the tense situation prevailing in the region since late September. The AJK government claimed it had resolved or was moving towards resolution of more than 90 per cent of the issues outlined by the JAAC. “We have implemented all matters that were within our domain. However, federally funded projects are approved through a defined process, and that naturally takes time,” Minister for Information and Religious Affairs Muhammad Rafique Nayyar said at a press conference. “Similarly, matters related to constitutional amendments also take time because they pass through different stages,” he added. Nayyar said the PPP-led government, under AJK Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, had worked day and night during its one-and-a-half months in power to resolve public issues. “The prime minister is young and energetic. He has removed the word ‘rest’ from his lexicon and has kept himself and his team constantly on their toes for public welfare,” he said. Nayyar added that the atmosphere of inertia in the prime minister’s office and the ministers’ block had come to an end and the government had held a record five cabinet meetings within 90 days, approving measures to resolve public matters on a fast-track basis. “The biggest challenge for the present government has been restoring public trust, a task in which, by the grace of Allah, it is succeeding.” Listing steps taken by the government in connection with the agreement, Nayyar said that since PM Rathore himself was among the signatories on behalf of the AJK government, it placed an even greater responsibility on the government to ensure its implementation. Regarding the reduction in the property transfer tax, he said the cabinet had already approved reducing the property transfer tax to 8.5pc, and a notification would be issued after the required legislation was enacted. As for health cards, Nayyar said the government was not facing any financial constraints and that negotiations with the relevant company were underway. The prime minister, he said, set a deadline of January 20 to resolve the issue. Responding to a question as to why the government was not holding talks with the JAAC, Nayyar said the government was always ready for negotiations and wanted to move forward by taking all stakeholders on board. “Our sincerity can also be gauged from the fact that the prime minister himself went to the house of a core member of the Action Committee. We are available 24 hours a day. If talks are to be held, just give us half an hour’s notice,” he said. Nayyar clarified that the AJK government was not functioning under the agreement with the JAAC but under the public mandate. However, he added, the government remained fully committed to implementing all commitments made in the public interest. The minister expressed regret that talks held in Islamabad on January 2 were attended by representatives of the federal and AJK governments, but members of the JAAC did not turn up. Describing AJK as a highly sensitive region, Nayyar said the ancestors of its people had made immense sacrifices for its freedom. “Our objective is to maintain an atmosphere of peace and order in the state and to resolve all legitimate public issues, and we will spare no effort to achieve this,” he added. In response to another question, Nayyar said the PPP would contest the next elections based on its performance and would once again seek the people’s trust. He said elections would be held on time, as there was no provision in the Constitution for their cancellation. The information minister said that when he had previously held the information portfolio two-and-a-half years ago, he had visited press clubs across AJK and made efforts to resolve their issues. “We will seek guidance from the media and will take every possible step to strengthen it,” he added. Talks between the JAAC, the AJK government and federal ministers over elite privileges and reserved seats for refugees broke down towards the end of September last year. Rival groups then staged protests, trading blame for violence that marred what began as a largely peaceful movement in AJK. Fierce clashes between protesters and law enforcers left at least 10 people dead and scores critically injured in the territory. After two rounds of talks, an agreement between the JAAC, the AJK government and the federal government was reached. On December 29, the federal government notified a nine-member committee to deliberate on a contentious clause of the agreement, the abolition of elite privileges and 12 seats reserved for Pakistan-based refugees from India-occupied Kashmir. Under its terms of reference, the committee will deliberate on the issue of “members of the AJK Legislative Assembly other than the AJK constituencies (sic)” and has been auth­orised to meet as frequently as required and submit its recommendations to the Monitoring and Implementation (M&I) Commit­tee constituted under the Muzaf­farabad Agreement.