Bilawal seeks probe into AJK unrest, says armed forces are PPP’s red line

MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday called for a high-powered commission to investigate the recent unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), saying any inquiry should be conducted in line with the state’s laws.

Addressing the PPP’s AJK leadership and ticket holders in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal said the situation in the region was a matter of concern for both Kashmiris and the rest of Pakistan. His remarks came as violence linked to sit-ins and protests has intensified in parts of AJK ahead of the July 27 elections for the 53-member Legislative Assembly.

The latest tensions follow the AJK government’s June 5 decision to declare the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, stating that the group was involved in terrorism. The ban was imposed days before the organisation’s planned June 9 protest, which sought the abolition of 12 seats in the AJK assembly reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.

Bilawal said a fully empowered commission should be formed to examine the recent developments. He added that politicians in Pakistan and AJK, as well as those participating in protests, needed to carefully consider their conduct, and urged all political parties to act responsibly to help restore peace.

Speaking about the political atmosphere, Bilawal said language used by all sides should remain measured in the current circumstances. Referring to the military, he said the armed forces were a red line for the PPP and warned that rhetoric aimed at them would not be accepted.

'Armed forces are our red line'

He said remarks emerging from AJK against the Pakistan Army were unacceptable and reiterated that his party would not allow anti-state narratives. At the same time, he said the PPP was also deeply pained by offensive language directed at Kashmiris and stressed that no such remarks should be tolerated. He added that promises made to the people of Kashmir must be fulfilled.

Bilawal said violent protests and demonstrations could not be allowed under any circumstances. He also said constitutional amendments could not be forced through sit-ins or at gunpoint, and cautioned against allowing what he described as the politics of terrorism to take hold in Kashmir.

On the broader Kashmir issue, Bilawal said he had consistently raised the cause of Kashmir and the voice of the Kashmiri people. He said that if Kashmiris shed sweat, his party would be ready to shed blood with them. He maintained that Kashmiris alone would decide their future, while adding that the voting rights of refugees could also be protected.

He said he wanted a peaceful resolution of issues related to Kashmir and maintained that no individual or group could overpower the state.

Regional remarks

Bilawal also spoke about regional developments, saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart had been together in Israel before the Iran war. He said the violence in AJK had served the India-Israel nexus while damaging the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s image internationally after clashes between members of the proscribed committee and police left several people dead and dozens injured.

He further said that if India moved against the Indus Waters Treaty, the whole nation was ready to respond, adding that there could be no compromise on Pakistan’s share of Indus waters.

The PPP chairman also said the role of Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in preserving regional peace and stability was visible to all.