A new government led by Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani has assumed charge in Muzaffarabad amid massive political turmoil and simmering public discontent.
Elections in two central districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir – Poonch and Sudhnoti – have yet to be held. These districts are widely considered the heartland of the current protests and public agitation.
AJK has been passing through a period of intense public unrest since early June 2026. The authorities and the now-banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), despite holding several rounds of dialogue, failed to find a peaceful way to address the core demands. The ban on the JAAC was followed by wider protests, prolonged confrontation, and tragic loss of life. Some estimates suggest that nearly 100 civilians and security personnel have been killed during the last three months.
The internet became the first casualty of this crisis. Since June 5, 2026, AJK has faced a complete internet blackout. Although a degree of normalcy has returned to several towns and cities, Rawalakot remains under curfew, while JAAC supporters continue their sit-ins at the main entry points of the city. Banks, government offices, educational institutions, the medical college and the university remain closed.
Given this situation, the new government’s top priority should be restoring peace, normalcy and public confidence. Dialogue remains the only viable option to resolve the ongoing conflict. Thousands of people are still present in various sit-ins, hundreds of protesters and their supporters are in jail, and police are reportedly pursuing more than 1,500 people whose FIRs have been made public. The new government must understand that using force will only worsen an already fragile political climate.
During the same period, AJK also attracted significant international attention. From legacy media to social media, documentaries, commentary and human rights reports projected AJK as one of Pakistan’s most troubled regions – a sharp contrast to its earlier image as one of the more peaceful areas in the region.
The diaspora from Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Mirpur has also displayed visible anger. Demonstrations were held in several countries, consistently demanding a peaceful resolution of the crisis, wider democratic space, accountability, better service delivery, and respect for local identity and constitutional autonomy.
The new government, particularly the prime minister, will have to move beyond traditional protocols and engage directly with international media, critical diaspora voices and respected community elders. Ignoring them will only widen the trust deficit and allow others to define the crisis.
Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani also faces a serious legitimacy challenge. He lost two consecutive elections from Muzaffarabad city, most recently to PPP leader Mukhtar Abbasi. He was later elected on a special seat of the assembly and eventually became prime minister of the region. His nomination was publicly opposed by PML-N AJK president Shah Ghulam Qadir and former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider. One should not forget that during the last assembly term, AJK saw four prime ministers. This alone shows how unstable political loyalties and Islamabad’s support can be.
Gilani also lacks a long political career as a mass leader. He has largely been seen as a mid-ranking political figure rather than a front-line leader. Yet this weakness can also become an opportunity. If he peacefully resolves the present crisis, ensures that protesters’ demands are heard and creates a face-saving, win-win situation for both the agitated public and the state, it could give him immense credibility and a major political boost.
Prime Minister Gilani has no choice but to improve service delivery, reduce the administration’s lavish lifestyle, expand public outreach and spend most of his time in AJK. His visits to Islamabad should be limited to official and genuinely important meetings. He should also ensure that top bureaucrats and ministers work from within AJK rather than treating Islamabad as their real centre of power. Senior officials should be encouraged to live in AJK and relocate their families there, so they understand the daily realities of the people they govern.
Through his liaison with the federal government, the prime minister should immediately push for major development initiatives in all three divisions – Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Mirpur. These projects should create real employment for thousands of young people, especially in tourism, hydropower, agriculture, information technology, vocational training, small industry and infrastructure.
The new government must avoid the old habit of treating every political crisis through force, arrests and administrative pressure. AJK needs healing, dialogue and political reconciliation. This is not simply a law-and-order problem; it is a crisis of trust, governance and political representation.
If Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani wants to survive politically, he must understand that the people of AJK are no longer willing to accept cosmetic changes. They want dignity, development, accountability and a meaningful say in their own affairs.
The choice before the new government is clear: either it opens a serious political dialogue and begins structural reforms, or it becomes another short-lived experiment in AJK’s long history of unstable and externally managed governments.
The writer is a freelance contributor. He tweets @ErshadMahmud and can be reached at: [email protected]
