Muslim Conference, ulema council announce alliance for AJK polls

ISLAMABAD: The All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference and the Muttahida Ulema Council Azad Kashmir on Saturday announced an electoral alliance for the upcoming elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference at the National Press Club, where AJKMC President and former AJK prime minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan appeared alongside Muttahida Ulema Council chief Mufti Muhammad Waseem Raza.

Joint electoral strategy

Speaking at the press conference, Sardar Attique said political activity in Azad Kashmir had picked up ahead of the elections and that the Muslim Conference was working to enter the contest with stronger preparation and wider political unity.

He said the Muslim Conference, despite political difficulties in recent years, remained a 94-year-old ideological party with longstanding links to the Kashmir freedom movement, Pakistan’s ideology and issues related to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (PBUH).

According to Sardar Attique, the party had consulted a range of political and religious groups before reaching an understanding with the Muttahida Ulema Council to field joint candidates in all constituencies of Azad Kashmir.

He said the alliance had been formed to preserve the ideological identity of the state, back the Kashmir freedom movement and protect the rights of the people. He added that Azad Kashmir required leadership capable of representing both the Kashmir cause and public aspirations effectively.

Sardar Attique also thanked Mufti Muhammad Waseem Raza, who chairs the Muttahida Ulema Council in AJK, as well as other religious scholars, for their cooperation and support in finalising the arrangement.

Statements at the press conference

During his remarks, Sardar Attique said Pakistan’s standing in the world had improved under Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He further said that international figures, including former US president Donald Trump, had acknowledged Pakistan’s leadership.

Mufti Muhammad Waseem Raza, speaking on the occasion, said religious scholars and spiritual leaders had played a historic part in the Pakistan Movement and continued to uphold the ideological foundations of both Pakistan and Kashmir.

He said the Muslim Conference occupied a distinct place in Azad Kashmir politics because of its role in safeguarding Islamic identity and religious values in the region.

The alliance announcement comes as political parties in Azad Kashmir step up preparations for the legislative assembly elections, with parties and groups positioning themselves for constituency-level contests across the territory.

The two sides said they would jointly contest seats throughout Azad Kashmir under the understanding reached after consultations between the Muslim Conference and the religious council.