PPP warns instability could be exploited by hostile elements, saying dialogue and consensus remains the way forward
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday called on the Election Commission to withdraw the election schedule for 12 migrant seats, terming the announcement ahead of a call to protest as “not an appropriate decision”.
The demand comes amid tensions following a call by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for widespread protests aimed at abolishing 12 seats in the Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir who have settled on the Pakistani mainland.
Just 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 end protests peacefully
Addressing a press conference at the Jammu Kashmir House after a party central committee meeting, PPP AJK president Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin said the timing of the election announcement was inappropriate.
“Publishing the election schedule for migrant seats just three days before a call to protest was not an appropriate decision,” he said.
He added that in the current circumstances, holding elections seemed difficult and called for the calendar to be withdrawn to allow for further consultations.
“In the current situation, elections are not feasible and the Election Commission should review its decision and continue the consultation process,” Yasin said.
He said the party did not support political confrontation or conflict, stressing that human lives could not be placed below electoral considerations.
“The PPP does not believe in confrontation. Twelve seats cannot be worth more than human lives,” he said.
Read also: AJK reinstates 177 FIRs against JAAC members for violation 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, including India, which is why all stakeholders must act responsibly,” he warned.
He said dialogue and political consensus remained the only viable path 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 policies had always been centered on the Kashmir cause, giving credit to the PPP founders for raising the issue at the international level.
He said that over the past seven months, efforts had been made to resolve public issues and strengthen the democratic system, adding that 37 of the 38 demands of the Awami Action Committee had been implemented, while only the constitutional issue of migrant seats remained under consideration.
He further said that all parties showed positive response during the negotiations, adding that only a one-week extension was requested from the Awami Action Committee, which was not accepted.
He said essential food shortages were emerging in Azad Kashmir, warning that the region faced uncertainty and instability.
Learn more: Some elements seeking to create instability within AJK despite repeated offers for dialogue: Rana Sanaullah
“All outstanding issues can only be resolved through dialogue, political harmony and the continuity of the democratic process,” he said.
House Leader of the Legislative Assembly Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan said all stakeholders must play their role in stabilizing 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.
State Minister Mian Abdul Waheed said protecting the state was the top priority.
“Azad Kashmir cannot afford further tensions or confrontations in the current circumstances,” he said.
He urged all parties to resolve the issue through dialogue, emphasizing that Pakistan and Kashmir remained inseparable.
“No power can create a wedge between Pakistan and the Kashmiri people,” he said.
He said unity among political parties, people and overseas Kashmiris was essential to avoid 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 unrest and deadly clashes in certain areas, notably in Rawalakot, where the recently banned Joint Awami Action Committee (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 Sunday’s protests. The JAAC, however, said in a statement on
Sunday’s clash came as the AJK government and JAAC witnessed a face-off, with the election date for AJK announced for July 27.
Learn more: Some elements seeking to create instability within AJK despite repeated offers for dialogue: Rana Sanaullah
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.
Learn more: Four policemen martyred, over 20 injured in Rawalakot shooting: AJK Police
The unrest also sparked political upheaval in the region. The PPP then moved a no-confidence resolution against the then Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz joining the effort. Haq, elected in April 2023 with 48 votes, chose to face the vote rather than resign.
On 17 November, Rathore received 36 votes in the elections and became the 16th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
With elections approaching and the refugee seat issue still unresolved, the AJK government has convened an All Party Conference (APC) in Muzaffarabad to reach a consensus. Almost all major parties were present – 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 and therefore there would be no point in attending. He had proposed either maintaining token representation of refugees until the Kashmir conflict is finally resolved or replacing the 12 seats in the Assembly with 4 seats in the AJK Council – a body chaired by the Prime Minister, which he said 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 change the distribution of refugee seats. The JAAC called the resolution “a page and a half of utterly trivial lines” and accused participants of coming together to serve their own interests rather than those of the public.
