PPP chairman proposes independent commission to investigate unrest, calls for dialogue to help resolve current crisis
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto addresses office bearers and ticket holders of his party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. SCREENSHOT
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday warned that prolonged unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) would harm both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s international reputation, urging all stakeholders to seek a political solution to the crisis.
Addressing PPP leaders and election candidates in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal described the violence in AJK as “a national tragedy” and proposed the formation of an independent commission, agreed upon by all stakeholders, to investigate the unrest and recommend a way forward.
“The situation in Azad Kashmir over the last month has been deeply worrying. Every Kashmiri is worried, and every Pakistani is worried,” he said. “The longer this goes on, the greater the damage to the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s reputation.”
“I propose the creation of an independent commission composed of all relevant parties,” he said. “The commission should have a broad enough mandate to examine the current situation, establish the relevant facts, consider the grievances and positions of all parties, consider outstanding political, legal and administrative issues and recommend a just and sustainable way forward.”
Bilawal said every death reported during the unrest was “a national tragedy” and offered condolences to the families of those killed.
He stressed that “each allegation should be investigated diligently, impartially and through due process,” warning that “continued confrontation can only lead to further losses and inflammatory accusations.”
Calling for restraint, Bilawal said, “I appeal to the protesters to suspend protests, sit-ins and long marches if this proposal is acceptable to the Government of Pakistan, the AJK Government and the protesters.
He said he had discussed the proposal with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who assured him that he would discuss it with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Bilawal added that politics must be conducted responsibly so that no enemy of Pakistan can exploit the country’s internal problems.
Read also: DPM Dar meets Bilawal, discusses overall situation of country and AJK matters
He also reiterated his support for dialogue, saying the state had a legitimate position that it could not be blackmailed into surrendering, but that grievances raised by protesters must also be taken into account. “We always want common ground. We want a political and peaceful solution to all outstanding issues,” he said.
Referring to criticism of the Pakistan Army, Bilawal said, “If anyone speaks against Pakistan, Pakistan Army or our armed forces, whether in Kashmir or anywhere else in Pakistan, we cannot tolerate it. » “Our armed forces are our red line.”
Moving on to broader constitutional issues, Bilawal proposed convening a constitutional convention of AJK after the elections to look into governance reforms.
“The people of Kashmir should decide whether further constitutional, political, administrative and economic reforms are necessary,” he said. “The decision on Kashmir must be taken by Kashmiris, not by Islamabad or any other city.”
Addressing the controversial issue of 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees in the AJK Legislative Assembly, Bilawal said, “No constitutional amendment can be imposed through guns or sit-ins. »
“If it’s the 12 reserved seats, then let the people decide. If they want to keep them, keep them; if they want reforms, discuss them. But refugee representation must be protected,” he added.
He also proposed granting AJK greater representation in Pakistan’s national institutions through observer status in bodies such as the National Finance Commission, the Council of Common Interests, Parliament and the Senate, saying this would help voice Kashmir’s concerns before disputes escalate.
Despite the unrest ahead of the July 27 AJK elections, Bilawal said the PPP would continue its campaign. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “Whether this issue is resolved or not, I will stand with the people of Kashmir, our party members, and we will contest this election.”
Bilawal also presented the PPP’s broader vision for AJK, saying the party’s struggle has always been centered on ensuring ‘property rights’, ‘right to employment’ and greater rights for the people of Kashmir.
Learn more: AJK suspends 20 education employees following JAAC protest
Referring to the reforms introduced by the PPP government in Gilgit-Baltistan, he said the party had transferred land ownership to local residents and vowed to continue similar efforts wherever people were denied property rights.
“If the new generation wants to enjoy new rights, then we will have to continue this struggle together,” he said, adding that the PPP remained committed to expanding the political, economic and administrative rights of the people of AJK.
Comparing the PPP to its political rivals, Bilawal said other parties are “taking away rights and jobs”, while the PPP is “the only party that gives rights and creates jobs”.
He also reiterated that the future of Kashmir must be determined by its people. “Some people think that the future of Kashmir lies elsewhere. I believe that the future of Kashmir is only in the hands of Kashmiris,” he said, adding that the current crisis should be resolved “through peaceful and political means”.
Regarding the July 27 elections, Bilawal said the PPP would raise election-related concerns with the federal government and welcomed assurances from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that AJK’s electoral mandate would be respected.
He said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the PML-N leadership had assured him that if the PPP won the elections, “the mandate of the people would be respected”, just as the PPP believed its mandate had been respected after its victory in Gilgit-Baltistan.
“I also assure them that if they win, we will also respect their mandate,” Bilawal said, adding that respecting the public’s verdict should become a democratic norm, regardless of which party wins.
Bilawal met DPM Dar on Tuesday to discuss matters relating to AJK, following an earlier meeting between the two last week.
Earlier this month, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and PPP announced an electoral alliance for the upcoming elections in AJK. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Bilawal also held a meeting and called for dialogue to resolve the ongoing unrest in AJK.
Bilawal also previously announced that the PPP and JUI-F would jointly contest the upcoming AJK elections. He also called on the JAAC to stay within the bounds of the law and the Constitution.
Background
The recent unrest and deadly clashes broke out in certain areas, notably in Rawalakot, where the JAAC had organized a sit-in in front of the Rawalakot Combined Military Hospital. AJK police say armed JAAC members opened fire on security forces deployed during a planned attack, leaving four people dead and around 20 injured. The JAAC, however, disputes this version, saying that security forces used tear gas and fired shells towards the hospital.
According to the AJK Police, three individuals linked to the JAAC and four law enforcement personnel were killed during the protests. The JAAC, however, said in a statement that seven people were killed and dozens injured when street shootings took place in the dark after the electricity was reportedly cut off.
The clash occurred as the AJK government and JAAC witnessed a face-off with the election date for AJK being announced for July 27.
The 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly has 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 lopsided arrangement that many see as unfair.
The region experienced one of its most turbulent periods in October last year, when JAAC-led protests erupted demanding constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three police officers, were killed during the unrest.
The JAAC, which organized the protests and strike, had presented a broad charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the removal of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees and the abolition of the quota system.
Two days after the violence, the government and the JAAC reached an agreement on 12 basic points and 13 additional points. Under the agreement, both sides agreed to constitute a high-level committee to look into the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
