PPP warns that instability could be exploited by hostile elements and says dialogue and consensus remain the way forward
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), on Sunday asked the Election Commission to withdraw the election schedule for 12 migrant seats, calling the announcement ahead of a protest call “not an appropriate decision”.
The demand comes amid tensions following a call by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for widespread protests seeking the abolition of 12 seats in the Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by India who have settled in mainland Pakistan.
Just a few days before the protest call, the AJK Election Commission, on June 5, announced general elections for the Legislative Assembly, scheduled for July 27.
Read: Bilawal Bhutto urges AJK protesters to peacefully end demonstrations
Addressing a press conference at Jammu Kashmir House after a meeting of the party’s central committee, PPP AJK president Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin said the timing of the election announcement was inappropriate.
“Issuing the electoral calendar for immigrant seats only three days before a protest call was not an appropriate decision,” he said.
He added that under the prevailing circumstances, holding elections seemed difficult and called for the calendar to be withdrawn to allow for further consultations.
“Elections in the current situation are not feasible and the Electoral Commission should review its decision and continue the consultation process,” Yasin said.
He said the party does not support confrontation or political conflict, and emphasized that human lives cannot be placed below electoral considerations.
“The PPP does not believe in confrontation. Twelve seats cannot be more valuable than human lives,” he said.
Read also: AJK reinstates 177 FIR against JAAC members for breach of October 25 agreement
Yasin also warned that instability in the region could be exploited by hostile forces.
“Any instability in the region could be exploited by hostile elements, particularly India, which is why all stakeholders must act responsibly,” he warned.
He said dialogue and political consensus remained the only viable way forward. “Dialogue and consensus are essential to reduce tensions and address the challenges facing the region,” he added.
The PPP leader said the party’s policy had always focused on the Kashmir cause, and credited the founders of the PPP for raising the issue internationally.
He said that in the last seven months efforts have been made to resolve public problems and strengthen the democratic system, adding that 37 of the 38 demands of the Awami Action Committee have been implemented, while only the constitutional issue of migrant seats remains under consideration.
He further said that all parties had shown positive response during the negotiations, adding that only a one-week extension had been requested from the Awami Action Committee, which was not accepted.
He said shortages of essential food items were emerging in Azad Kashmir, warning that the region was facing uncertainty and instability.
Read more: Certain elements seek to create instability in AJK despite repeated offers of dialogue: Rana Sanaullah
“All outstanding issues can only be resolved through dialogue, political harmony and the continuity of the democratic process,” he said.
Parliamentary Leader of the Legislative Assembly Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan said all stakeholders had to play their role to stabilize the situation.
“Elections are not more important than human lives and hasty decisions have made the situation worse,” he said.
He called for the immediate withdrawal of the electoral calendar to allow reconciliation.
Chief Minister Mian Abdul Waheed said protecting the State was the top priority.
“Azad Kashmir cannot afford any further tensions or confrontations under the current circumstances,” he said.
He urged all parties to resolve the issue through dialogue and emphasized that Pakistan and Kashmir remained inseparable.
“No power can create a wedge between Pakistan and the people of Kashmir,” he said.
He said unity among political parties, public and overseas Kashmiris was essential to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
He added that political differences must be put aside in favor of national and state interests and called for immediate consultations to consider postponing the elections.
Among those present at the press conference were Parliamentary Leader Sardar Yaqoob, Chief Minister Mian Waheed, government ministers Sardar Javed Ayub, Javed Iqbal Budhanvi, Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar and others.
Background
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.
