Bilawal Bhutto urges AJK protesters to peacefully end demonstrations

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday made a direct appeal to protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), urging them to peacefully end their demonstrations and bring their protest activities to a “peaceful conclusion”.

In a press release, Bilawal said, “The imminent signing of the Islamabad agreement marks a historic moment, adding that at a time when international attention is firmly on Pakistan, the ongoing unrest in AJK is damaging both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s reputation.”

Tensions have risen in AJK following recent deadly clashes that have led to competing narratives about victims, governance grievances and political legitimacy. Official sources have confirmed at least seven deaths.

He warned that the situation is also creating an “unnecessary opportunity” for hostile actors and the “India-Israel nexus” to exploit the developments for their own purposes.

The PPP chairman called on those who have taken the law into their own hands to surrender to local authorities and allow due process to take its course.

He stressed that all political grievances and disagreements must be resolved through “democratic, constitutional and peaceful means,” and said that Parliament and the political process, not the streets, are the appropriate forums to resolve such issues.

Bilawal noted that the PPP has already asked the Election Commission to withdraw its “premature election schedule,” reiterating the party’s commitment to seeking a political solution.

He said the party would seek to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address outstanding grievances and move the process towards a “just and lasting conclusion”, adding that the people of Kashmir should not be subjected to repeated cycles of protest and uncertainty.

He added that if all stakeholders, including the federal government, agree, the AJK government could review the notifications issued in relation to the protesting parties at an appropriate time.

Reiterating a balance between accountability and justice, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said there can be no compromise on the rule of law or on the accountability of illegal actors, but stressed that people who have done nothing wrong should not suffer the consequences of the actions of others.

Read: AJK SC Bar Council warns violators of peace, calls for immediate surrender

Meanwhile, the central committee of PPP Azad Kashmir has demanded that the Election Commission withdraw the current election schedule, calling for immediate consultations in light of the prevailing situation.

Addressing a press conference, PPP Azad Kashmir President Chaudhry Yasin said that “saving the State is the top priority” in the current circumstances, and emphasized that the party’s policy has always revolved around the Kashmir issue.

He recalled that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto highlighted the cause of Kashmir globally, while adding that over the last seven months efforts have been made to resolve public issues and restore democratic processes.

Chaudhry Yasin said that while security personnel were martyred, civilians were also affected by the evolving situation. He criticized the hasty announcement of the migrant seating schedule, saying it was issued only a few days before the protest call, which was inappropriate.

He noted that during the negotiations most of the Public Action Committee’s demands were accepted, stating that “37 of 38 demands” had already been implemented, while only the constitutional question of immigrant seats remained up for discussion.

He said there are alternative constitutional and legal options regarding immigrant representation, adding that a one-week extension was requested from the committee but was not accepted. In the current situation, he said, it seems difficult to hold elections for immigrant seats.

Chaudhry Yasin urged the Election Commission to withdraw the schedule and continue the consultation process, saying the PPP is not in favor of confrontation or conflict. He warned that hostile forces, including India, could take advantage of the situation.

He stressed that “12 seats for immigrants are not worth more than human lives” and added that solutions must be found through dialogue, political consensus and the democratic process. He also pointed out the emerging shortage of essential goods in Azad Kashmir and said the region is facing serious uncertainty.

Other senior leaders present included former Prime Minister Sardar Yaqoob Khan, Information Secretary Javed Ayub, Chief Minister Mian Wahid, Javed Budhanvi, Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar, Chaudhry Qasim Majeed and Yasir Sultan.

AJK protests

The recent riots and deadly clashes in areas, including Rawalakot, where the recently banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had been staging a sit-in in front of the Combined Military Hospital, Rawalakot. AJK Police allege that armed JAAC members opened fire on law enforcement forces deployed in a planned attack, leaving four personnel dead and around 20 injured. JAAC, however, disputes this version, stating that security forces used tear gas and fired projectiles towards the hospital.

According to the AJK police, three people linked to the JAAC and four law enforcement officials were killed during the protests on Sunday. JAAC, however, said in a statement on

Sunday’s clash came as the AJK government and JAAC witnessed a clash as the AJK election date was announced for July 27.

Read more: Certain elements seek to create instability in AJK despite repeated offers of dialogue: Rana Sanaullah

AJK’s 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees, people who fled Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1947 and 1965 and are now scattered across Pakistan. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people), an already imbalanced arrangement that many consider unfair.

The region witnessed one of its most turbulent periods in October last year, when protests led by the JAAC broke out over demands for constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three police officers, died during the riots.

The JAAC, which organized the protests and strike, had put forward a wide-ranging charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, and the elimination of the quota system.

Two days after the violence, the government and the JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 basic and 13 additional points. Under the agreement, both sides agreed to constitute a high-level committee to examine the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.

Read more: Four police officers martyred, more than 20 injured in Rawalakot shooting: AJK police

The unrest also sparked political unrest in the region. The PPP subsequently moved a no-confidence resolution against then Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz joined the effort. Haq, who had been elected in April 2023 with 48 votes, preferred to face the vote rather than resign.

On 17 November, Rathore secured 36 votes in the elections and became the 16th chief minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

With elections approaching and the issue of refugee seats still unresolved, the AJK government called an All Parties Conference (APC) in Muzaffarabad to build consensus. Almost all major parties attended, except the PTI and JAAC, which boycotted it.

The JAAC’s position is that the government had already rejected its written proposals submitted on May 30, so attending would be futile. He had proposed maintaining symbolic representation of refugees until the Kashmir dispute is permanently resolved, or replacing the 12 assembly seats with 4 seats in the AJK Council, a body chaired by the Prime Minister, which he claimed would better preserve the political dimension of the Kashmir cause.

The APC rejected any changes outside the constitutional and legislative framework, saying only the elected assembly could alter the seating arrangement for refugees. The JAAC called the resolution “a page and a half of absolutely trivial lines” and accused participants of coming together to serve their own interests and not those of the public.