Former PM Haider urges dialogue with protesters in Poonch — Dawn

Former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Raja Farooq Haider has urged the authorities to engage in dialogue with protesters in Poonch, Pakistan. He appealed to newly elected President Dr. Najeeb Naqi and Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani to engage with the protest participants and understand their demands. This was reported by Dawn.

Call for negotiations

Haider said he was concerned about the situation in the region, calling Poonch a historic center of the freedom movement. He acknowledged that he has differences with the protesters, which he had previously expressed publicly, but stressed that the situation should be resolved through negotiations.

According to the former head of government, the current system may collapse. He also called on state security institutions and officials to join the settlement effort, stating that the AJK Legislative Assembly remains incomplete without Poonch's representation.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Role of the new leadership

Haider linked a possible improvement in the situation to how effectively Iftikhar Gillani implements his 100-day agenda. In his view, the prime minister must ensure effective administrative control. Haider added that he had discussed the matter with Gillani and expects changes.

Speaking about President Najeeb Naqi, he expressed hope that he would play an important role in resolving the problems. Haider also said that senior politicians currently do not have a mandate for negotiations, as political parties have been marginalized.