PML-N shifts stance on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir protesters

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has signaled a significant shift in its approach toward protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Rana Sanaullah, an adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stated that 99 per cent of those associated with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) are "patriotic brothers" and expressed intentions to engage in dialogue with the group once the PML-N forms a government in the region.

This change in rhetoric follows previous hardline stances, including comments from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who had previously described the protesters as "enemies of Pakistan." The political shift occurs as the PML-N prepares to take charge of the regional government following elections that have been marked by allegations of rigging and violence. The party has already secured 25 of the 45 seats in the assembly through the initial phases of the polls.

The JAAC has alleged that security forces' crackdowns have led to significant casualties, claiming over 400 protesters have been killed since June. While the Pakistani government has rejected these figures as "overly exaggerated," Sanaullah acknowledged that deaths in the protests have reached the "two digits."