Sports Minister Asim Sharif Bhat sent his resignation directly to Haq to avoid media attention
MUZAFFARABAD:
Three ministers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq’s cabinet have announced their resignations, holding the prime minister responsible for the recent unrest in the region. Information Minister Pir Mazhar Saeed has already submitted his resignation.
The ministers – Abdul Majid Khan, Asim Sharif Bhat and Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim – claimed that Haq had failed to protect the constitutional rights of the people of AJK and that more than 2.5 million Kashmiri refugees had settled in Pakistan. They also asked the Prime Minister to step down.
In his resignation letter, Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan said it was his solemn duty to reaffirm his unwavering belief in the ideology of AJK’s accession and integration into Pakistan, “following the final settlement of the J&K dispute, in accordance with the wishes of the entire population, including 2.5 million J&K refugees”.
He strongly opposed the “unfair and ill-conceived demand” made by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Action Committee (JAAC) for removal of 12 refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
He said the JAAC-led campaign was “not only devoid of empathy, but rooted in a narrative of exclusion, resentment and opportunism”.
He further contended that the agreement between the JAAC and federal government officials was reached under pressure and without broader consensus, thereby undermining the fundamental rights of thousands of Kashmiri refugees.
Abdul Majid Khan won four consecutive elections from LA-45 Valley-VI (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and is a descendant of the Jammu and Kashmir refugee community settled across Pakistan.
Food Minister Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim said the Kashmiri refugees and their 12-member assembly “are not just political voters, but divided families and patriotic Pakistanis whose loyalty to the Kashmir cause and to Pakistan has remained unwavering despite decades of suffering.”
Ibrahim added that it had become “totally impossible for the undersigned to continue serving under the current government, which has failed to effectively protect the constitutional rights of Kashmiri refugees and has shown neither ownership nor seriousness in tackling this grave constitutional violation committed by those without legal authority.”
Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the rights of Jammu and Kashmir refugees settled in Pakistan and pledged to continue to raise their voices for their rightful place in the political and constitutional structure of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan.
Outgoing ministers Khan and Ibrahim said in response to a question that they had already written to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir, urging them to take cognizance of the matter.
They said the issue reflected the sentiments of over 2.5 million divided Kashmiris living in Pakistan’s four provinces. These Kashmiris, they said, believe in joining Pakistan and their political rights must be protected in AJK.
Sports Minister Asim Sharif Bhat sent his resignation directly to Haq to avoid media attention.
