The party says the decision reflects solidarity with Kashmiris and its principled stand amid continued unrest in AJK
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) announced on Thursday that it would not contest the upcoming elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), saying the decision was taken in solidarity with the people of the region and in accordance with what it described as its “principled stand” under the prevailing circumstances.
The announcement came as the situation in AJK remained tense after the government banned the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), with the group continuing its sit-in and vowing to maintain the protest until its “legitimate demands” are met.
“Expressing unwavering solidarity with the aspirations of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, their right to self-determination and their democratic rights, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has decided not to participate in the elections under the prevailing circumstances,” said the party’s Central Information Secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a statement released on X.
He said the decision was not a political strategy but an expression of solidarity with the Kashmiri people and a principled stand.
The PTI said AJK was going through a “serious crisis” and claimed that thousands of people in Rawalakot and other areas staged sit-ins in support of what it described as their legitimate demands.
The party alleged that several people had lost their lives due to the use of force by the authorities and alleged that the supply of essential goods from Punjab to AJK had been completely stopped, causing hardship to the residents.
“Instead of pushing the Kashmiri people towards further political instability under such circumstances, their problems should be resolved immediately and fairly,” the statement said.
Read: AJK police arrest JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir amid sit-in
The PTI further claimed that the prevailing situation damaged AJK’s constitutional, democratic and political identity and created an environment that eroded what it described as the distinction between AJK and Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The party also said the approach was damaging to Pakistan’s historic Kashmir policy.
According to the statement, the electoral process could not be considered credible, while claiming that representative votes were suppressed, political activists faced action, leaders were arrested, media restrictions were in place and freedom of expression was curtailed.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will not engage in power politics by ignoring the voice of the Kashmiri people. Our primary priority is to support the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people, their democratic demands and a politics based on justice. We will stand with the people, not participate in elections.”
The party said it would not participate in the elections until the situation returned to normalcy, concerns raised by political and public stakeholders were addressed, the issues in the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) were resolved through mutual understanding, the electoral plan was reviewed and all political parties were provided with what it described as a truly free and level playing field.
The PTI said its political campaign would instead focus on advocating the democratic rights of the Kashmiri people, supporting their demands and seeking what it called a just resolution of JAAC’s demands.
The party also announced the immediate suspension of all recommendations of the AJK Parliamentary Board regarding allotment of party tickets to candidates.
Also read: TTAP says police stopped AJK-bound delegation
It said no further progress would be made on the issuance of tickets or any phase of the election process until the situation normalized, the political environment was restored and the party took further decisions.
“This decision taken by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has not been taken based on any calculation of political gain or loss, but in accordance with expressions of solidarity with the Kashmiri people, respect for democratic values and demands of principled politics. Until a free, fair and peaceful political environment is ensured for the Kashmiri people, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will not participate in this process.”
Background
The latest unrest and deadly clashes erupted in areas including Rawalakot where the JAAC had held a sit-in outside the Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot. AJK police claim that armed JAAC members opened fire on deployed law enforcers in a planned attack, leaving four people dead and around 20 injured. JAAC, however, disputes this account and claims that security forces used tear gas and fired grenades at the hospital.
According to the AJK police, three people associated with JAAC and four policemen were killed during the protests. However, JAAC said in a statement that seven people were killed and dozens were injured when street shelling was carried out in the dark after electricity was reportedly cut.
The clash came as the AJK government and JAAC witnessed a face-off when the election date for AJK was announced on July 27.
Read more: Certain elements seeking to destabilize AJK despite repeated offers of dialogue: Rana Sanaullah
AJK’s 53-member legislature includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees – people who fled Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1947 and 1965 and are now spread across Pakistan. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people) – an already lopsided arrangement that many see as unfair.
The region experienced one of its most turbulent periods last October, when protests led by JAAC broke out over demands for constitutional and government reforms. At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed during the unrest.
JAAC, which organized the protests and strike, had presented a comprehensive charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly spaces reserved for refugees and the abolition of the quota system.
Two days after the violence, the government and JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 core points and 13 additional points. Under the agreement, both sides agreed to set up a high-level committee to look into the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
