Bilawal Bhutto calls on AJK protesters to end demonstrations peacefully

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday directly appealed to protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), urging them to end their demonstrations peacefully and bring their protest activities to a “peaceful end”.

In a press release, Bilawal said “the imminent signing of the Islamabad agreement marks a historic moment, adding that at a time when the international spotlight is firmly on Pakistan, the ongoing unrest in AJK is damaging both the Kashmiri cause and Pakistan’s reputation”.

Tensions have risen in AJK following recent deadly clashes that have fueled competing narratives of victims, government grievances and political legitimacy. Official sources have confirmed at least seven deaths.

He warned that the situation also creates an “unnecessary opportunity” for hostile actors and the “India-Israel nexus” to exploit the development for their own purposes.

The PPP chairman called on those who have taken the law into their own hands to surrender to the local authorities and let due process take its course.

He stressed that all political grievances and disagreements must be resolved through “democratic, constitutional and peaceful means,” saying parliament and the political process, not the streets, are the appropriate forums to resolve such issues.

Bilawal noted that the PPP has already called on the Election Commission to withdraw its “premature election plan” and reiterates the party’s commitment to pursue a political solution.

He said the party would seek to establish a truth and reconciliation commission to address outstanding grievances and move the process towards a “just and lasting conclusion”, adding that the people of Kashmir should not be subjected to repeated cycles of protest and uncertainty.

He added that if all stakeholders, including the federal government, agree, the AJK government can review notices issued against protesting parties at an appropriate time.

Reiterating a balance between accountability and justice, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said there can be no compromise on the rule of law or holding illegal actors accountable, but stressed that people who have done no wrong should not suffer the consequences of the actions of others.

Read: AJK SC Advokatforening warns violators of the peace and calls for immediate surrender

Meanwhile, the PPP Azad Kashmir Core Committee has demanded that the Election Commission withdraw the current election schedule and called for immediate consultations in view of the prevailing situation.

In a press conference, PPP Azad Kashmir President Chaudhry Yasin said that “saving the state is the top priority” in the current circumstances, stressing that the party’s policy has always revolved around the Kashmir issue.

He recalled that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto highlighted the Kashmir issue at the global level while adding that during the last seven months, efforts were made to resolve public issues and restore democratic processes.

Chaudhry Yasin said that while security personnel were martyred, civilians were also affected by the developing situation. He criticized the hasty announcement on the timetable for migrant seats, saying it was issued only days before the protest call, which was not appropriate.

He noted that during the negotiations, most of the demands of the Public Action Committee had been accepted, claiming that “37 out of 38 demands” had already been implemented, while only the constitutional issue of migrant seats remained under discussion.

He said there are alternative constitutional and legal options for migrant representation, adding that a one-week extension was sought from the committee but was not accepted. In the current situation, he said, it seems difficult to hold elections for migrant seats.

Chaudhry Yasin urged the Election Commission to withdraw the schedule and continue the consultation process, saying that the PPP does not favor confrontation or conflict. He warned that hostile forces, including India, could take advantage of the situation.

He emphasized that “12 migrant seats are not more valuable than human life,” adding that solutions must be found through dialogue, political consensus and democratic process. He also pointed to the new shortage of essential commodities in Azad Kashmir and said the region is facing serious insecurity.

Other senior leaders present included former Prime Minister Sardar Yaqoob Khan, Information Secretary Javed Ayub, Senior Minister Mian Wahid, Javed Budhanvi, Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar, Chaudhry Qasim Majeed and Yasir Sultan.

AJK protests

The recent unrest and deadly clashes in areas including Rawalakot where the recently banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had staged 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 on Sunday. However, JAAC said in a statement on the X that seven people were killed and dozens were injured when street shelling was carried out in the dark after power was reportedly cut.

The clash on Sunday came as the AJK government and the 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.

Read more: Four policemen martyred, over 20 injured in Rawalakot firing: AJK Police

The unrest also triggered political upheaval in the region. The PPP subsequently presented a no-confidence motion against the then Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz participating in the effort. Haq, who had been elected in April 2023 with 48 votes, chose to face the vote rather than resign.

On 17 November, Rathore secured 36 votes in the election and became the 16th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

With elections now approaching and the refugee seat issue still unresolved, the AJK government convened an All Parties Conference (APC) in Muzaffarabad to build consensus. Almost all major parties participated – except PTI and JAAC, which boycotted it.

JAAC’s position is that the government had already rejected its written proposal submitted on May 30, so it would be futile to participate. It had proposed either to retain token refugee representation until the Kashmir dispute is permanently resolved, or to replace the 12 seats in the Assembly with 4 seats in the AJK Council – a body headed by the Prime Minister, which it argued would better preserve the political dimension of the Kashmir issue.

The APC rejected any change outside the constitutional and legislative framework, saying only the elected assembly could change refugee seating arrangements. The JAAC called the resolution “a page and a half of completely trivial lines” and accused participants of coming together to serve their own interests rather than those of the public.