Proposes a truth commission and urges both sides to suspend their actions until the investigation is complete
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addresses a public rally at Dadyal in Mirpur district on Friday. SCREENSHOT
Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday criticized both the federal government and protesters over the recent unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, lashing out at the former for punishing AJK for the latter’s actions.
Addressing a PPP rally in Dadyal tehsil of Mirpur district, Bilawal criticized both sides over the deteriorating situation in AJK.
The PPP chairman said Kashmir had faced a tough ordeal over the past month in full view of the world, but it was the people of the region who were bearing the brunt.
“Everyone has the right to protest, but protesting in such a way that food supplies cannot reach Kashmir, fuel cannot reach Kashmir and medicines cannot reach Kashmir does not harm the government. It does not harm the State of Pakistan or the State of Azad Kashmir. The burden, suffering and hardship are borne only by the people of Kashmir,” Bilawal said.
He added that the protesters were making the people of Kashmir pay the price for the government’s mistakes.
The PPP chairman also criticized the government’s response to the protests, saying it was punishing all Kashmiris instead of just those involved in the protests.
“The protesters may be good or bad, they may even be wrong, but the government does not only punish the protesters. He is punishing all Kashmiris, and he has been doing it for 30 days,” he said.
Bilawal described the upcoming AJK elections as the most important in the history of the region given the current situation, saying the people had never witnessed such circumstances before.
“It is a test for the state of Azad Kashmir, it is a test for the state of Pakistan, it is a test for all political parties and all politicians because it is the responsibility of politicians to represent you, to become your voice and to carry this voice to Muzaffarabad, to Islamabad and to the whole world,” he said.
Bilawal said he had proposed the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to deal with the current crisis, adding that the mechanism could help resolve the problems if accepted by both the government and the protesters.
“Until this Truth and Reconciliation Commission completes its work – if such a commission is formed – my request to the protesters would be to stop their protest until the commission completes its work. My request to the State of Pakistan would be that if the protesters are ready to accept this proposal, then the government should also suspend its actions until the commission completes its work. The commission should determine who was wrong, who was right, who committed crimes and who did not,” he declared.
Bilawal added that neither the government nor the protesters had responded to the proposal so far.
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More to follow.
