LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday called for an end to sit-ins in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and urged all stakeholders to engage in meaningful dialogue, as he expressed concern over the political situation in the region at a party meeting in Lahore.
The former prime minister made the remarks while chairing a meeting to review the political and administrative situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
On June 5, the AJK government declared the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a banned organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), saying the group was engaged in terrorism.
The ban was imposed days before the banned group’s planned June 9 protest seeking removal of 12 seats in AJK reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.
Addressing the meeting earlier today, the PML-N president expressed concern over the current situation in AJK and said such circumstances should not have arisen.
“This country belongs to all of us,” he said, adding that political and public rights should be defended within the framework of the Constitution.
Calling for an end to the protests, Nawaz said all political parties, the AJK government and the federal government should work together to restore peace in the region. He also stressed the need to promote tolerance, harmony and democratic politics.
The meeting expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the recent incidents in AJK and offered prayers for the departed.
The three-time former prime minister said the PML-N had always prioritized constitutional rights, basic public welfare and development projects for the people of AJK.
He reiterated the party’s stand on the Kashmir issue, stating that the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) should be accorded their right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations (UN) resolutions.
“The people of Kashmir have made unforgettable sacrifices for Pakistan,” he added.
He urged the people of Kashmir to maintain their ideological and intellectual ties with Pakistan while remaining peaceful.
Nawaz also praised Federal Minister Amir Muqam for his efforts in organizing election campaigns in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by senior PML-N leaders, including representatives of the AJK wing of the party.
