AJK unrest benefiting ‘India-Israel nexus’, damaging Kashmir cause: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday said the continuing unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was hurting both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s image, and urged protesters to end their demonstrations peacefully.

In a statement, Bilawal said the situation in AJK was creating space for hostile forces to take advantage of the turmoil. He warned that the unrest was benefiting what he described as the India-Israel nexus, while stressing that political disputes should be addressed through democratic and constitutional channels rather than confrontation on the streets.

"The situation [in AJK] was providing an unnecessary opportunity for hostile elements and India-Israel nexus to exploit," Bilawal said.

He said parliament and the political process were the appropriate forums for settling such matters, and added that his party had already called for the Election Commission to withdraw the premature election schedule. Bilawal said the PPP remained committed to a political settlement and would work toward setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address unresolved grievances and help bring the matter to a fair conclusion.

He also appealed to protesters to conclude their demonstrations peacefully and asked those who had broken the law to surrender to the local authorities so that legal proceedings could move forward. At the same time, he said the people of Kashmir should not be subjected to protest, confrontation and uncertainty. According to Bilawal, if the Centre and all political stakeholders reached an understanding, the AJK government could review notifications issued in relation to the protesting groups.

Bilawal said there could be no compromise on enforcement of the law and on accountability for those involved in unlawful acts. However, he added that the government was also committed to ensuring that people who had not committed any wrongdoing were not made to suffer because of the actions of others.

Ban on JAAC and recent clashes

The AJK government declared the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act on June 5, saying the group was involved in terrorism. The move came days before the outfit’s planned June 9 protest over its demand for the abolition of 12 seats in the AJK Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.

Earlier, on June 8, AJK police said deliberate firing by members of the banned outfit in Rawalakot had left four law enforcement personnel martyred, while more than 20 police and security officials were injured.

Rana Sanaullah’s remarks

Bilawal’s statement came a day after Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said external elements were financing the proscribed JAAC and that the group had rejected several efforts aimed at peacefully resolving the dispute.

Sanaullah said the banned organisation had introduced a new demand, seeking removal of the declaration from the election undertaking that states Kashmir would accede to Pakistan after independence. He further said an investigation had found that external actors, including members of the Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom, were providing financial support to the banned outfit.