Bilawal urges government to reopen AJK amid unrest ahead of July 27 vote

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday called on the federal government to reopen Azad Jammu and Kashmir, saying residents should be given relief amid continuing disruptions in the region.

Speaking at an election rally in Dadyal, Bilawal linked his appeal to Pakistan’s recent diplomatic role in the United States-Iran ceasefire framework. He said Pakistan had helped secure peace between the two countries and reopen the Strait of Hormuz under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 17.

Bilawal said the July 27 elections in AJK would be the most important in the region’s history, describing them as a test for Pakistan and a chance for the people of Kashmir to make their voices heard. He said political leaders had not properly conveyed the concerns of Kashmiris to Islamabad and added that if voters gave the PPP responsibility, he would act as their voice.

His remarks came as violence has increased in parts of AJK in connection with sit-ins and protests ahead of the elections. On June 5, the AJK government declared the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, saying the group was involved in terrorism.

The ban was imposed days before the group’s planned June 9 protest. The protest was aimed at seeking 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.

Call for political solution

Bilawal said the tensions in the region should be addressed through peaceful and political means, adding that there was no issue that could not be resolved in that way. He said protesters had written to him, after which he proposed the creation of a truth and reconciliation commission to deal with the dispute.

Addressing the gathering, he said:

If the state of Pakistan can help bring peace between the United States and Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, then it should also reopen Kashmir.

He also said:

I have suggested establishing a truth and reconciliation commission. If it is formed, I will ask the protesters to suspend their protest,

Bilawal added that he had not yet received any response to that proposal.

He urged both the protesters and the authorities to avoid steps that would create difficulties for ordinary people, saying interruptions that block food supplies and essential goods ultimately hurt the public. He said the government had a duty to maintain its writ, but argued that all Kashmiris should not be punished for the actions of a few people.

Remarks on refugee seats and federal policy

The PPP chairman said he would convene a constitutional convention after the elections, with proposals to come from the public while decisions regarding refugee seats and voting would be taken by constitutional institutions.

He also asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to clarify the federal government’s position after comments by cabinet members, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, on Kashmir and the refugee seats. Bilawal said that if the defence minister’s remarks did not represent government policy, he should be removed from office.

Bilawal further criticised a reported statement by another federal minister that 12 Kashmir seats were in their pocket, saying it reflected disregard for the electoral process in the region.

In his address, he said:

The government has a responsibility to maintain its writ, but it cannot punish all Kashmiris for the actions of a few individuals,

He also said:

The decision on Kashmir is not in anyone's pocket. It lies only in the hands of Kashmir's youth,

Bilawal urged voters to back the PPP in what he described as the last election for refugee seats in both AJK and Pakistan.