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Asif: Mülteci Koltuklarının Kaderini AJK Halkı Belirlesin

Summary · AI generated

Pakistan Savunma Bakanı Havaca Asif, Azad Keşmir'deki 12 mülteci koltuğunun geleceğine dair kararı bölge halkının vermesi gerektiğini söyledi. Asif, perşembe günü yaptığı açıklamada, artık yasaklı olan Ortak Awami Eylem Komitesi'ne (JAAC) çağrıda bulunarak, mülteci koltuklarının kaldırılıp kaldırılmayacağının halk oylamasıyla belirlenmesini istedi. Bölgesel yönetim ile JAAC arasında aylardır süren gerginliğin odağında, meclisteki bu koltukların statüsü yer alıyor. Hindistan tarafından yönetilen Keşmir'den gelen mültecileri temsil eden sandalyeler, siyasi temsil ve demografik denge açısından tartışmalı bir konu. JAAC'ın yasaklanmasıyla tırmanan krizde Asif'in demokratik çözüm önerisi, taraflardan nasıl bir karşılık bulacağı belirsizliğini koruyor. Asif'in açıklaması, federal hükümetin müdahalesini gösterirken, Azad Keşmir'deki idari ve siyasi istikrarı doğrudan etkileme potansiyeli taşıyor. Mülteci koltuklarının akıbeti, bölgedeki hassas dengeleri değiştirebileceği için dikkatle izleniyor.

This summary is currently in Turkish; automated English translation is coming soon.

Started 11 Jun, 13:15 6 events Updated 15 Jun
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latest: 15 Jun
  1. Political11 Jun, 13:15

    Khawaja Asif urges JAAC to let AJK voters decide fate of refugee seats

    Islamabad, Pakistan

    As tensions persist in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday urged the now proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to let the people of the region decide whether the 12 refugee seats should be abolished. The regional administration and the JAAC remain at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the defence minister called on the JAAC to raise the issue in the upcoming elections, scheduled for July 27, and “take the issue to the public”. He questioned why the group was intent on deciding the issue pre-emptively, suggesting that it might be an attempt to shape the assembly “as per their will”. Asif noted that Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan had paid a “heavy price” to migrate to the country, and that the JAAC had no right to demand the “taking away of their right to vote”. “The AJK that we have today is due to the sacrifices made by the Pakistan armed forces and people from across the country, not just Kashmiris,” the defence minister said, asserting that 250 million Pakistanis had a “stake” in the region. He held that there was a story in every Pakistani household of the sacrifices made for the disputed region. “Does that mean nothing? I do not want to take names, but what have they sacrificed for Kashmir? They do not have any stake, nor have they invested anything in the liberation of Kashmir,” the defence minister said. The defence czar warned that if people took the law into their own hands, the government could not be expected to “stay silent”. He also recalled that Kashmiri refugees in his constituency did not have access to basic facilities such as electricity and gas due to uncertainty surrounding their status. However, “we had their status finalised”, he said, reiterating that the way forward was dialogue, not confrontation. “I wonder if this hatred has been imported from across the line,” Asif said, in an apparent reference to the Line of Control (LoC). He maintained that the group could not “take away the identity” of Kashmiri refugees, advising that the matter should be resolved in the Legislative Assembly. “How could you exclude them from the electoral process?” the defence minister said. Asif remarked that the status “Azad” in AJK had been secured and protected by Pakistanis. “The word Azad would not have been there if it were not for Pakistan,” he said, adding that the armed forces stationed atop mountains protecting Kashmir were all Pakistanis, including Punjabis, Baloch, Pashtuns and Sindhis. Unrest in AJK continues Earlier reports suggested that activists and supporters of the proscribed JAAC had reached the outskirts of Rawalakot from multiple directions, determined to proceed through the town towards the regional capital of Muzaffarabad. On Tuesday night, a large number of protesters from Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts, including the town of Dadyal, had managed to enter the territorial limits of Poonch district via Tatta Pani amid reported clashes with law enforcers. Several casualties were reported in the violence, but there was no official confirmation. On Wednesday, the protesters, who had stayed overnight at different locations in Hajira tehsil, resumed their journey towards Khaigalla, some 10 kilometres from Rawalakot, where another rally from Sudhnoti district joined them. Witnesses and official sources said that by evening, the crowd had reached Chehr Bazar and camped in the industrial area near the Eidgah, on the eastern side of the town. Another group of protesters from the Mang and Thorar areas of Poonch district had separately camped at the bus terminal on the southern side of the town. A third, relatively smaller group from Bagh district had stationed itself at a high school in Kotehri village on the northern side. Residents said Rawalakot, like the rest of AJK, observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday, with public transport off the roads and only negligible private traffic visible. Throughout the day, announcements were made over mosque loudspeakers in Rawalakot, directing citizens to restrict movement and warning that anyone attempting to enter the town from outside would be responsible for any repercussions. According to local sources, law enforcement personnel had blockaded roads leading into the city and taken positions at several locations to thwart any attempts by protesters to enter. A senior government official told Dawn that Umar Nazir Kashmiri, considered a hardline JAAC leader, had reportedly submitted a “six-point petition” to the “decision-making authorities” in an effort to defuse the situation. The demands included the withdrawal of the Home Department’s notification proscribing the group, conditions related to the deaths during the protests and cases registered over them, the lifting of any restrictions on movement, and the initiation of negotiations. The petition further stated that, pending a decision, both law enforcement personnel and protesters should remain at their respective positions. The official added that the JAAC leader had assured the authorities that protesters would not move forward. No JAAC leader was available to confirm or deny the claim. Proscribed Last Friday, following the announcement of the JAAC’s June 9 strike, the AJK government declared the body a proscribed organisation, stating that it was “engaged in terrorism” and had acted in a manner “prejudicial to peace and security” of the state. A day later, AJK authorities launched a crackdown on the JAAC, arresting scores of its leaders and activists from different areas. Sedition proceedings against two of its leaders have also been ordered, and a Rs10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of four leaders has been announced. Tensions in the region particularly flared up after a violent protest in Rawalakot, during which at least four law enforcement personnel and seven civilians lost their lives. Islamabad has also dispatched federal paramilitary forces to reinforce the region’s thinly stretched police force, and intending visitors have been advised to postpone their trips until June 20.

    Dawn – Home
  2. Security12 Jun, 03:04

    AJK remains shut for third straight day

    MUZAFFARABAD: At least one person, who participated in a gathering organised by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), was killed and four others injured in a clash with law enforcement personnel on the outskirts of Rawalakot on Thursday, as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) observed a complete shutter-down strike for the third consecutive day . An official told Dawn that thousands of protesters from Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli districts in Mirpur Division, as well as Sudhnoti and parts of Poonch districts in Poonch Division, had converged on Eidgah Ground on the eastern outskirts of Rawalakot since Wednesday evening. Smaller groups of protesters had also gathered at two other locations on the southern and northern edges of the town. According to witnesses, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, a core JAAC member facing sedition charges, delivered a “highly provocative” speech to the gathering at Eidgah Ground. The speech was streamed live on social media despite the suspension of internet services by all major providers across AJK since Friday last week. Poonch Divisional Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan said law enforcement personnel were dispatched in the early hours of Thursday after authorities learnt of Kashmiri’s presence at the gathering. “However, when they were removing obstacles from the road, a group of protesters confronted them. In the ensuing exchange of fire, one protester was killed and four to five others were injured,” he said. The deceased activist was identified by fellow protesters as 32-year-old Sohban Arif, a resident of Gorah village in Sudhnoti district. Six-point petition During his speech, Kashmiri reportedly stated that negotiations with the government were possible and claimed he had submitted a six-point petition to the authorities to facilitate talks. A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that the demands included the withdrawal of the Home Department notification proscribing JAAC, the return of the bodies of all deceased activists and injured persons, and the registration of FIRs regarding the killing of civilians. The petition also demanded the withdrawal of paramilitary troops from urban areas and the lifting of the curfew before negotiations could begin. According to the official, Kashmiri also proposed that neither law enforcement personnel nor protesters should move beyond their current positions until these demands were addressed. However, sources said the authorities were unwilling to make concessions similar to those granted on two previous occasions. Some claimed JAAC had been given a clear message that it must first surrender to the state before expecting any relief. On Thursday, the AJK Law Department withdrew four notifications, one issued in December 2024 and three in December 2025, under which cases linked to protests and agitation by the now-proscribed JAAC had been recalled from various criminal courts across the region. The notification stated that the decision had been taken during the 41st meeting of the AJK cabinet on June 5. Sources said the state had made it clear that while relief measures granted to the general public would remain intact, concessions previously extended to what it termed “troublemakers” would be withdrawn. Earlier reports from Rawalakot suggested that JAAC protesters might attempt to enter the town, raising fears of a violent confrontation. However, it later emerged that the organisation’s leadership had decided to continue sit-ins at their existing locations. “These peaceful sit-ins will continue until our detained activists are released, the bodies of activists are returned, and the notifications proscribing the Action Committee and announcing rewards for information leading to the arrest of four core members are withdrawn,” Imtiaz Aslam, a JAAC core member from Kotli, told the gathering at Eidgah Ground. JAAC alleges that the bodies of several activists killed by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have not been handed over to their families. As drones were seen flying over Rawalakot and LEAs conducted flag marches across the area, official sources did not rule out the possibility of decisive action against the protesters later in the night. Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2026

    Dawn – HomeDawn – Pakistan
  3. Political13 Jun, 11:47

    The unconstitutionality of abolishing Kashmiri refugee seats

    Pakistan

    In the charged political landscape of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC)’s core demand to abolish the 12 reserved seats for Kashmiri refugees in the legislative assembly strikes at the heart of constitutional governance, historical justice, and the enduring Kashmir cause. These seats, constitutionally entrenched under Article 22 of the AJK Interim Constitution 1974, are not mere administrative privileges or tools for “electoral engineering,” as JAAC alleges. They represent a solemn recognition of the displaced Kashmiri population’s integral role in the state’s polity. Any attempt to abolish them — whether through executive fiat, street pressure, or even hasty legislative action — stands on shaky constitutional ground and risks violating fundamental rights and principles of state policy as guaranteed by the AJK Constitution. While the AJK Supreme Court, recognising the situation, issued in haste its 32-page advisory opinion in response to a presidential reference under Article 46-A, it correctly affirmed that these seats enjoy constitutional protection and cannot be altered, abridged or abolished through executive action. However, in an exceptional concession, the Court stated that such abolition is possible through a formal amendment under Article 33. Most humbly, the opinion arguably errs in its framing by implying that this remains a viable path open to the Assembly, for a variety of tangible reasons. To understand the argument, one has to accept that the constitution grants refugees equal status with local Kashmiris, defining both as “state subjects”. The 12 refugee seats — typically allocated as six for Jammu and six for the Kashmir Valley refugees settled in AJK and Pakistan post-1947 — trace their roots to electoral arrangements dating back to 1960, reinforced in 1964 and 1970, and explicitly incorporated into the 1974 Interim Constitution. Article 22 delineates the composition of the Assembly, embedding these seats as a structural feature alongside directly elected constituencies. This was no afterthought; it reflects the indivisibility of the Kashmiri nation across the Line of Control. Refugees and their descendants are not outsiders but state subjects who fled persecution and continue to embody the unresolved dispute. Equality before the law The Court’s observation that refugees are state subjects is accurate but incomplete. As state subjects under the Constitution, all Kashmiris (refugees or otherwise) enjoy equality before the law and non-discrimination as fundamental rights. Article 4 of the Constitution further dictates that any law, custom or usage inconsistent with these rights shall be void. Abolishing dedicated representation would disenfranchise a distinct class of citizens on the basis of their migratory history and origin — precisely the kind of differentiation the ocnstitution guards against. Such action would contravene the principles of policy laid down in Article 3 of the constitution, which mandate that the state promote social justice, protect vulnerable groups, and ensure equitable participation by discouraging parochial and similar prejudices. Refugees, having endured displacement, do not forfeit their political voice; rather, the constitution affirmatively protects it as a fundamental right. Accordingly, any legislative move to abolish the refugee seats, even if procedurally compliant with Article 33, would invite judicial scrutiny under the doctrine of basic structure or implied limitations on the amending power and would be constitutionally void. Abolishment of these seats would disrupt the delicate balance the AJK constitution strikes between local representation (predominantly 33+ seats from AJK territories) and the broader Kashmiri diaspora’s voice. The Supreme Court rightly noted the historical lineage, but its opinion could have gone further in underscoring that these seats are not discretionary quotas subject to majoritarian whims. They form part of the basic structure of representation in a disputed territory whose final status remains pending. The constitution of AJK is distinct in its form: while it exercises territorial jurisdiction over Azad Jammu & Kashmir (pending final solution to the Kashmir issue as per UN dictates), its personal jurisdiction extends over all Kashmiris (as per the 1927 borders of the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir). Accordingly, treating the refugee seats as mere perks and privileges and abolishing them via amendment ignores the constitutional framework which prioritises the liberation and unity of the entire former State of Jammu and Kashmir. Such an amendment would amount to a constitutional fraud on the foundational compact that AJK embodies as a liberated zone. Courts worldwide, including in Pakistan’s jurisprudence, have struck down amendments that erode fundamental features like representation, equality before the law and minority protections. Abolishment would set a dangerous precedent The AJK Supreme Court’s advisory stance, while providing an immediate solution, underplays this substantive barrier: fundamental rights and policy principles bind the Assembly itself. It cannot, in the name of “local grievances,” marginalise a community integral to the state’s identity. Notwithstanding the moral and political issues involved, such an action borders on unconstitutionality. While advisory opinions are not binding, they carry their own interpretive legal weight; hence, a review may be in order on the stated grounds. The JAAC’s portrayal of these seats as mere privileges doled out to Kashmiri refugees outside territorial AJK overlooks constitutional, demographic and historical realities. Refugee voters, though dispersed, maintain legitimate stakes. Their elimination would not enhance democracy but contract it, potentially violating the right to effective political participation by marginalising refugees, who are considered a protected class in international law. Beyond domestic law, the protected status of refugees is firmly anchored in international instruments. The 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol, along with customary international law, prohibit measures that exacerbate vulnerability or deny political and socio-economic rights to displaced persons. Kashmiri refugees specifically embody a collective claim tied to self-determination under UN resolutions on Kashmir. Marginalising their legislative voice through abolition constitutes a form of constructive denial of rights — an offence against international humanitarian norms and Pakistan’s consistent diplomatic stance. Seen in this light, JAAC’s agitation not only crosses into unconstitutionality when it demands erasure of this protected representation, but also mirrors a rising far-right agitational group bent upon marginalising a protected community. Beyond the AJK Supreme Court’s opinion, which rightly rejects executive capitulation to protests and agitation, affirming that constitutional amendments are not concessions to be wrested, thus confirming the universal principle of what falls within the ambit of peaceful assembly or not. Abolishment would set a dangerous precedent: politicising displacement, eroding minority-like protections, and inviting legal challenges while narrowing the Kashmir issue. It would betray the sacrifices of 1947 and undermine AJK’s legitimacy as a beacon for the oppressed Kashmiris across the divide. Policymakers, jurists, and citizens must reject this demand not as a political concession, but as a matter of constitutional imperative, fundamental rights, and international obligations. In upholding the refugee seats, the AJK government is reaffirming that Kashmir’s struggle is holistic — one people, one destiny. Deeper introspection of the core demand reveals that it is not about perks and privileges but about fundamental rights and protection thereof. While one may rewrite parts of the constitution, they cannot erode guaranteed rights. The Assembly, if it ever contemplates change, must do so with utmost caution, lest it commit a constitutional and moral offence against its own displaced brethren as well as the cause. Header image created with Generative AI

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  4. Political14 Jun, 14:34

    PPP-AJK urges election commission to withdraw polling schedule for 12 refugee seats amid unrest

    Islamabad, Pakistan

    ISLAMABAD: PPP’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) chapter on Sunday urged the region’s election commission to immediately withdraw the election schedule for 12 refugee seats, stressing the need for dialogue to defuse the ongoing crisis. The call comes ahead of the July 27 elections in AJK amid widespread protests by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) over their demand to abolish 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. Elections for these seats are held separately from the 33 general seats in AJK, with refugees registered in 12 constituencies across Pakistan voting for their representatives. PPP-AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, who addressed a crowded press conference at Kashmir House following a meeting of the party’s core committee, said that to deal with the existing challenges and tensions in the region, negotiations and political consensus were unavoidable. “The central focus of PPP’s politics has always been the Kashmir issue. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto played a historic role in highlighting the Kashmir cause at the global level,” he said. He noted that over the last seven months, the government had made serious efforts to resolve public issues and strengthen democratic institutions, recalling the implementation of “37 out of 38” demands of the JAAC from an agreement the group signed with the government last year in October. “Only the constitutional matter relating to refugee seats remained under consideration, for which alternative legal and constitutional avenues exist,” he noted. Yasin maintained that issuing the election timetable just three days before JAAC’s June 9 protest call was “not an appropriate decision”. During negotiations, all parties had adopted a positive attitude, and JAAC was asked for a one-week extension, which was not granted, he said. “Under the current circumstances, holding elections appears difficult. The Election Commission should withdraw the schedule and move the consultative process forward. PPP is not in favour of any confrontation or clash. 12 refugee seats cannot be more valuable than human lives,” he said. Warning of external exploitation, he said hostile forces, particularly India, could try to take advantage of the situation. “There is a shortage of essential commodities in AJK. The state is facing serious difficulties and uncertainty. The solution to all problems lies in dialogue, political harmony and continuity of the democratic process,” he stressed. He was accompanied by Parliamentary Leader in the AJK Legislative Assembly Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Senior Minister Mian Abdul Wahid, and ministers Sardar Javed Ayub, Javed Iqbal Budhanvi, Sardar Ziaul Qamar, Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, Chaudhry Yasir Sultan, Mahrukh Taqdees Gillani, and PM’s spokesperson Shaukat Javed Mir, among others. The PPP parliamentary leader, Khan, echoed similar demands while speaking on the occasion, saying it was “imperative” that the schedule be withdrawn. “Elections are not more important than human lives. Hasty and ill-advised decisions have brought us to this point. PPP believes in democratic values and supports consideration of the public’s peaceful demands. It is imperative to withdraw the election schedule immediately to pave the way for reconciliation,” he said. Senior Minister Wahid said saving the state was the top priority. “AJK cannot afford more tension and conflict. All parties must urgently seek an acceptable solution through dialogue,” he said. “Pakistan and Kashmir cannot be separated. Kashmiris’ love and attachment to Pakistan remains as strong as ever, and India can never succeed in creating a rift between Pakistan and the Kashmiri people. Despite political differences, state interests must come first,” Wahid said. He stressed that there was still time for all parties to sit together, resolve the issue and postpone elections in view of the current situation. The seats have long been politically sensitive due to disputes over voter lists, delimitation, and constitutional amendments. Earlier in the day, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also said that the PPP had called upon the AJK Election Commission to withdraw its “premature election schedule”.

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  5. Political14 Jun, 16:36

    Tarar calls for end to differences over AJKLA seats via democratic means

    Islamabad, Pakistan

    ISLAMABAD: As the PPP’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) chapter on Sunday urged the region’s election commission to withdraw the election schedule for 12 refugee seats, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar called for a resolution to differences through democratic and constitutional means. Ahead of the July 27 elections in AJK, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had called for widespread protests demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. Elections for these seats are held separately from the 33 general seats in AJK, with refugees registered in 12 constituencies across Pakistan voting for their representatives. The seats have long been politically sensitive due to disputes over voter lists, delimitation, and constitutional amendments. Information Minister Tarar while addressing the media outside Parliament House stressed that elections are the best way to achieve the public mandate in a democracy. “Azad Jammu and Kashmir is at the top of Pakistan’s priorities. Public welfare measures will continue in AJK,” he said. “The federation is committed to solving public problems and to the development of AJK,” he said, adding that the government had allocated significant financial resources in the upcoming budget for public facilities in AJK, including electricity. “Decisions on matters of national interest and public welfare should be prioritised above politics,” he stated. “Everyone has the right to protest but taking the law into one’s own hands cannot be allowed,” he stressed. “No opinion can be imposed by force, peaceful protest is the right of every citizen. Differences should be resolved through dialogue. ‘Elections difficult under current circumstances’ PPP-AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, who addressed a press conference at Kashmir House earlier today following a meeting of the party’s core committee, called upon the AJK election commission to withdraw the polling schedule for the 12 refugee seats. Yasin maintained that issuing the election timetable just three days before JAAC’s June 9 protest call was “not an appropriate decision”. During negotiations, all parties had adopted a positive attitude, and JAAC was asked for a one-week extension, which was not granted, he said. “Under the current circumstances, holding elections appears difficult. The Election Commission should withdraw the schedule and move the consultative process forward. PPP is not in favour of any confrontation or clash. 12 refugee seats cannot be more valuable than human lives,” he said. He stressed the need for dialogue to defuse the ongoing crisis, adding that dealing with existing challenges and tensions in the region, negotiations and political consensus were unavoidable. “The central focus of PPP’s politics has always been the Kashmir issue. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto played a historic role in highlighting the Kashmir cause at the global level,” he said. He noted that over the last seven months, the government had made serious efforts to resolve public issues and strengthen democratic institutions, recalling the implementation of “37 out of 38” demands of the JAAC from an agreement the group signed with the government last year in October. “Only the constitutional matter relating to refugee seats remained under consideration, for which alternative legal and constitutional avenues exist,” he noted. “There is a shortage of essential commodities in AJK. The state is facing serious difficulties and uncertainty. The solution to all problems lies in dialogue, political harmony and continuity of the democratic process,” he stressed. Warning of external exploitation, he said hostile forces, particularly India, could try to take advantage of the situation. Yasin was accompanied by Parliamentary Leader in the AJK Legislative Assembly Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Senior Minister Mian Abdul Wahid, and ministers Sardar Javed Ayub, Javed Iqbal Budhanvi, Sardar Ziaul Qamar, Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, Chaudhry Yasir Sultan, Mahrukh Taqdees Gillani, and PM’s spokesperson Shaukat Javed Mir, among others. ‘Pave the way for reconciliation’ The PPP parliamentary leader, Khan, echoed similar demands while speaking on the occasion, saying it was “imperative” that the schedule be withdrawn. “Elections are not more important than human lives. Hasty and ill-advised decisions have brought us to this point. PPP believes in democratic values and supports consideration of the public’s peaceful demands. It is imperative to withdraw the election schedule immediately to pave the way for reconciliation,” he said. Senior Minister Wahid said saving the state was the top priority. “AJK cannot afford more tension and conflict. All parties must urgently seek an acceptable solution through dialogue,” he said. “Pakistan and Kashmir cannot be separated. Kashmiris’ love and attachment to Pakistan remains as strong as ever, and India can never succeed in creating a rift between Pakistan and the Kashmiri people. Despite political differences, state interests must come first,” Wahid said. He stressed that there was still time for all parties to sit together, resolve the issue and postpone elections in view of the current situation. Earlier in the day, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also said that the PPP had called upon the AJK Election Commission to withdraw its “premature election schedule”.

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  6. Political15 Jun, 02:29

    PPP links AJK election to peace in region

    Islamabad, Pakistan

    • Bilawal urges protesters to call off sit-ins • Party’s AJK wing wants election schedule withdrawn as PML-N insists on elections without delay • Two deaths reported from Rawalakot ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a rethink of the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the PPP swung into action on Sunday, with its chairman urging the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to end its protests and its AJK chapter asking the Election Commission to withdraw the election schedule. The developments came as two people were killed and eight others injured in a clash between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari appealed to protesters in AJK to end their demonstrations, warning that the unrest was “damaging both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s international reputation”. In a statement, the PPP chairman said the imminent signing of the Pakistan-mediated peace agreement between the United States and Iran marked “a historic moment”. “At a time when the international spotlight is firmly on Pakistan, the ongoing unrest in AJK is damaging both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s reputation,” the former foreign minister added. He urged protesters to end their demonstrations peacefully and asked those who had “taken the law into their own hands” to surrender to the authorities and allow “due process to take its course”. The PPP chairman stressed that political grievances should be resolved through “democratic, constitutional and peaceful means”. “Parliament and the political process — not the streets — are the appropriate forums for addressing and settling such issues,” he said. Recalling that the PPP had already asked the AJK Election Commission to withdraw its “premature election schedule” for polls set for July 27, he said the party remained committed to a political solution and would seek the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address outstanding grievances. In an apparent reference to the June 5 decision to proscribe JAAC, he said the AJK government could review notifications issued against protesting groups if all stakeholders, including the federal government, reached a consensus. Withdrawal of poll schedule Meanwhile, PPP AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin urged the Election Commission to immediately withdraw the election schedule, stressing the need for initiating dialogue to defuse the current crisis. Addressing a packed press conference at Kashmir House in the federal capital after a meeting of the party’s core committee, Yasin said negotiations and political consensus were unavoidable to address the challenges facing the state and end the prevailing tensions. “Implementation has been completed on 37 of JAAC’s 38 demands. Only the constitutional matter relating to refugee seats remains under consideration, for which alternative legal and constitutional avenues exist,” he said. Criticising the timing of the election schedule, he said its announcement just three days before the protest call was inappropriate. “Under the current circumstances, holding elections appears difficult. The Election Commission should withdraw the schedule and move the consultative process forward. The PPP is not in favour of any confrontation or clash. Twelve refugee seats cannot be more valuable than human lives,” he said. He also warned that hostile forces, particularly India, could exploit the situation. The PPP AJK core committee unanimously decided to prioritise reconciliation and political harmony over confrontation. Rawalakot clash Two people were killed and eight others injured in a clash between protesters and law enforcement personnel near Eidgah Ground in Rawalakot during the early hours of Sunday, according to Poonch Divisional Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan. JAAC has been holding nightly gatherings at the site since Wednesday. The shutter-down strike observed on JAAC’s call continued for a sixth consecutive day across most parts of AJK, including Muzaffarabad. Authorities also suspended mobile phone services in Rawalakot on Saturday night, while internet services, already suspended across the region, were extended for another six days until June 20. ‘PML-N wants polls sans delay’ Speaking to a private TV channel, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the PML-N wanted elections in AJK to be held on time without delay. He described the polls as the solution to prevailing issues in the region. The minister said the PPP had not consulted the PML-N regarding the postponement of the AJK polls. Chaudhry said the current AJK Assembly had taken the oath on Aug 3 and noted that elections must be held before Aug 4. He affirmed that July 27 was scheduled to be the polling day in the region. However, he added that the deadline for submission of nomination papers could be extended if required. Referring to the recent unrest, Chaudhry expressed regret over the loss of lives in Rawalakot and urged protesters to end sit-ins and demonstrations. Meanwhile, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said differences should be resolved through democratic and constitutional means. “Everyone has the right to protest, but taking the law into one’s own hands cannot be allowed,” he told reporters outside Parliament House. Muharram factor PPP senior leader Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said the party had sought postponement of the AJK elections because of the law and order situation as well as the commencement of the holy month of Muharram, which would halt electioneering activities. “It has been the party’s position from the outset that elections should not be held in AJK without the restoration of peace,” he said. Bukhari also said local government elections in Gilgit-Baltistan should be postponed because of Muharram. Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad and Tariq Naqash in Muzaffarabad also contributed to this report Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2026

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