Opposition, PPP criticise govt over AJK unrest in National Assembly

ISLAMABAD: A heated debate unfolded in the National Assembly on Wednesday as opposition lawmakers and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticised the federal government over the continuing unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which has left several people dead, including law enforcers, and dozens injured.

The issue came under discussion after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif faced objections over remarks he reportedly made about AJK residents. Members from both the PPP and JUI-F took exception to the reported comments during the sitting.

According to the details shared in the House, the unrest began before a June 9 strike announced by the Awami Action Committee in protest against the reservation of 12 seats for refugees in the July 27 elections to AJK’s 45-member legislative assembly. The refugees are living in Pakistan after being displaced from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Fazl urges restraint, offers mediation

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for patience and restraint, saying emotionally charged statements had been made in the House, including by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. He said an emotional reaction from the government did not suit its position.

Criticising Khawaja Asif, Fazlur Rehman said the defence minister’s remarks were inappropriate and risked aggravating the situation further. "You have handed fighting to Khawaja Asif and reconciliation to Ishaq Dar," he said referring to the government’s handling of the issue.

Fazlur Rehman told the House he had received a formal letter from the Awami Action Committee and had passed it on to the government, but had not yet received any response. He said the committee had sent its charter of demands and argued that protests should not be met with force solely on the basis of demonstrators' speeches.

He also welcomed the committee’s decision to defer its planned march towards Muzaffarabad, adding that he had responded to its letter through a video message.

Bilawal targets ministerial remarks

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose party is part of the ruling coalition at the Centre, sharply criticised some federal ministers, saying they were creating problems for the prime minister instead of helping resolve them.

He questioned why there were ministers making remarks that people from Rawalakot were not Kashmiris, and said the minister concerned had still not apologised. He said one federal minister had worsened the matter instead of calming it down, and urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to rein in his team. Bilawal also said Maulana Fazlur Rehman should be given room to play a mediating role in resolving the dispute.

During his speech, Bilawal also turned to Karachi’s local government system and asked whether the MQM-P valued Karachi more than its political seats. He challenged coalition partners to seek for Karachi the same municipal model available in Lahore.

In remarks directed at the MQM-P, he said that if the prime minister and the federal government were not accepting their demands and were only offering assurances, they should leave the coalition.

"How long will you continue on this lollipop? Get out of the federal government," he said.

On Gilgit-Baltistan, Bilawal said the PPP was forming a government there with the support of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and the PML-N. He also announced that local government elections in GB would be held within 90 days.

Govt says protest aims to block polls

Responding for the government, PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah said the proscribed Awami Action Committee had adopted arson and violence in Kashmir a year earlier and had then presented 38 demands, all of which, he claimed, had been addressed in some form.

He said AJK residents were still receiving electricity at Rs3.50 per unit despite much higher rates in the rest of Pakistan, and added that Rs10 billion had been provided to deal with electricity-related matters. He also said wheat subsidies were being extended to AJK.

Rana Sanaullah said the current demand to abolish the 12 refugee seats in the AJK Assembly was a constitutional and legal issue. He told the House that a six-member committee had been set up to submit recommendations to the AJK government on the matter. He further alleged that the committee had rejected several options put forward by the government, including participation in an all-parties conference on the refugee seats question.

Stating the government’s position, he said the actual aim of the protest call was to prevent the AJK elections from taking place, and accused the committee of trying to impose its demands through mob pressure. He also said denying refugees the right to vote ran contrary to the purpose of the freedom movement.

Rana Sanaullah said Fazlur Rehman’s comments on Kashmir carried weight and added that Kashmir was Pakistan’s jugular vein, so no room should be left for misunderstanding. He said the government would welcome whatever mediating role the JUI-F chief chose to undertake, while maintaining that the seats issue would not be settled through rallies or sit-ins.