He questions why he remained in the cabinet and accuses some members of the government of creating political problems for the prime minister.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday criticized Defense Minister Khawaja Asif for his comments on Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), questioned why he remained in the cabinet and accused some members of the government of creating political problems for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In a television interview, Asif said that Rawalakot, which has seen protests led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), was “not Kashmir” and that he did not consider its residents to be Kashmiris.
He later tried to clarify the comments about
“There are certain ministers whose politics I do not understand. Instead of helping the prime minister, they create problems for him,” Bilawal said while addressing the National Assembly (NA) during the debate on the federal budget.
The PPP chairman went on to say that every coalition partner, every opposition member and every citizen of Pakistan should ask “why such a minister is still in the cabinet”, he said, adding: “How can we accept that a federal minister can say that Kashmiris in Rawalakot are not Kashmiris?”
For the past few years, the local administration and the JAAC have been at loggerheads over the abolition of 12 reserved seats in the AJK Assembly allocated to refugees from Indian-occupied Kashmir who settled in Pakistan after 1947.
Asif on Tuesday in a post on
The Defense Minister further added that in his opinion, Kashmiri identity is defined by the “sacrifices and struggles waged for almost eight decades by Pakistanis, including Kashmiris and all others, not by birth certificates.”
Bilawal at today’s session of the National Assembly said Pakistan’s political parties needed to work together at a time of significant regional and international changes. “In the current situation in Pakistan, and taking into account everything that is happening geopolitically, if all political parties come together and decide that we will collectively face Pakistan’s challenges, then we will be able to secure the political, economic and strategic dividends that these opportunities offer,” he said.
The PPP chairman said Prime Minister Shehbaz wanted to take the country forward in consultation with coalition partners and the opposition, arguing that many national problems could only be resolved through dialogue. “Problems can only be resolved through negotiations and dialogue,” he said.
Bilawal said criticism of statements made at rallies or protests was legitimate, but argued that comments by a sitting federal minister carried different weight. “If he is not willing to apologize, what justification do we have for sitting next to that minister?” asked.
While expressing respect for the long-standing association of Prime Minister Shehbaz, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with the Kashmir cause, Bilawal said a minister’s comments had worsened an already delicate situation.
“Instead of putting out the fire, it was like pouring oil on it,” he said.
Bilawal also referred to comments allegedly made by a minister regarding the AJK elections, saying such statements had provided political space for unrest. “If a minister says we have 12 seats in our pocket, how can we object to people reacting to such statements?” said.
Calling for a political solution to the dispute, Bilawal suggested, “As his coalition partner, we must give Maulana Fazlur Rehman the space to interact with the federal government, the AJK government and the protesters so that this process comes to a conclusion and the people of Kashmir do not have to protest again and again.”
Read: AJK govt calls on JAAC leaders to surrender, ensures due process of law
He said all concerned parties should follow “a political path” that would help protect the Kashmir cause and at the same time ease tensions.
The PPP chairman then turned his attention to local government issues, particularly in Karachi, accusing some members of the federal coalition, specifically the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), of misleading their allies and directing criticism towards the PPP instead of addressing grievances within the federal government.
“Your problem is not the PPP,” he said, addressing lawmakers in Karachi. “The people who create problems for them are their own cabinet colleagues.”
He alleged that coalition partners were being offered “lollipops” rather than meaningful solutions and urged them to hold federal ministers accountable for unfulfilled commitments.
“How long will you continue to survive on lollipops?” asked.
Bilawal defended the PPP government’s record on local governance, arguing that Sindh was currently the only province where there was a functioning local government system. “Where the PPP rules, there is a local government system. Where the PML-N rules, they are afraid to even hold elections for the union council,” he said.
He challenged political opponents to implement in Lahore the same model of local government that existed in Karachi and called for local government elections to be held in Punjab and Islamabad before any constitutional amendments were considered.
The PPP chairman also promised that local government elections would be held in Gilgit-Baltistan within 90 days if a new government was formed there with the participation of the PPP.
Concluding his speech, Bilawal urged lawmakers to pass the budget before Ashura and avoid unnecessary political confrontations. “I also want the prime minister to succeed because if the prime minister succeeds, Pakistan will succeed,” he said.
“In my personal opinion, this is not the time to focus on our political differences. This is the time to come together and find solutions to Pakistan’s problems.”
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Fazlur Rehman also addressed the house and criticized the government’s handling of the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), questioned comments made by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and warned against what he described as political involvement of state institutions.
Fazl said he had responded to a letter from the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) through a video message and had also informed the government of his position. “I welcome the decision of the Awami Action Committee to postpone tomorrow’s march towards Muzaffarabad,” he said, referring to the planned protests in AJK.
The JUI-F chief questioned the State’s response to the recent developments and asked, “How can actions taken on the basis of speeches be considered an appropriate response?” “Until yesterday we were talking about human rights in occupied Kashmir. What are we going to do today?” he added.
“The things that Khawaja Asif has said should not have been said by a defense minister,” he told lawmakers. In an apparent reference to the government’s approach to the crisis, he commented: “They have entrusted the conflict to Khawaja Asif and reconciliation to Ishaq Dar.”
While acknowledging the government’s diplomatic efforts abroad, Fazl argued that “internationally, the government is gaining goodwill through global peace efforts, but Pakistan is losing goodwill at home,” he said.
The JUI-F chief also criticized the use of security forces in internal affairs, saying: “Pakistan army should be on the borders; instead, it is being used inside the country.”
He warned that statements such as those of the Minister of Defense will only increase tensions. “Comments like those by Khawaja Asif will increase the provocation,” he said, urging the government not to force the opposition into confrontation.
Fazl also referred to his party’s recent public meeting in Charsadda, stating that it had attracted hundreds of thousands of people.
Referring to the role of institutions in politics, the JUI-F chief said his party respects the military, the establishment and all state institutions, “but if the results of the elections change, then we will respond.”
“If they get involved in politics, we will respond to them in politics,” he added. Fazl rejected calls for silence on these matters, saying: “We are not mutes. We will not become silent demons.”
He further argued that if institutions used taxpayers’ money for political purposes, elected representatives had a duty to raise the issue in parliament. “If institutions use tax money and then use it for political purposes, we will respond in this House,” he said.
In a clear reference to the ruling party’s past opposition policy, Fazl questioned: “The prime minister should tell us whether, when they were standing on the containers, they did not mention the army chief and the army,” he said. “Weren’t there speeches from the stage describing the military as the ‘Department of Agriculture’?”
Background
Recent riots and deadly clashes broke out in areas including Rawalakot where the JAAC had been staging a sit-in in front of the Rawalakot Combined Military Hospital. 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 officers died during the protests. JAAC, however, said in a statement on
The clash occurred when the AJK government and the JAAC witnessed a clash as the AJK election date was announced as 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.
