As tensions continue in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday urged the recently proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to allow the people of the region to decide the future of the 12 refugee seats in the Legislative Assembly through the democratic process.
The AJK government and the JAAC remain divided over several issues, particularly the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.
Addressing the National Assembly, Khawaja Asif advised the JAAC to take the matter to the electorate in the upcoming AJK elections scheduled for July 27 and let the public determine the issue through their vote.
He questioned why the committee wanted the matter settled before the elections, suggesting that such a move appeared aimed at shaping the composition of the assembly according to its own preferences.
The defence minister emphasised that Kashmiri refugees who settled in Pakistan had made immense sacrifices and endured significant hardships to migrate. He argued that no one had the authority to deprive them of their right to vote and political representation.
Asif stated that the existing status of AJK was achieved through the sacrifices of Pakistan’s armed forces and people from across the country, not solely by Kashmiris. He maintained that all Pakistanis had a stake in the region and its future.
He said that nearly every Pakistani family had a story linked to sacrifices made for the Kashmir cause, adding that such contributions could not be ignored.
Without naming anyone directly, Asif questioned what sacrifices some of the critics had made for Kashmir, asserting that they had neither contributed to nor invested in the struggle for the region’s liberation.
The minister warned that if individuals attempted to take the law into their own hands, the government could not remain silent and would be compelled to respond.
Recalling his own constituency, he said many Kashmiri refugees had long been deprived of basic facilities such as electricity and gas because of uncertainties regarding their legal status. He claimed those issues had eventually been resolved and stressed that dialogue, rather than confrontation, was the appropriate way forward.
In an apparent reference to the Line of Control (LoC), Asif remarked that he wondered whether the prevailing hostility had been “imported from across the line”.
He insisted that the identity of Kashmiri refugees could not be erased and reiterated that any dispute regarding the refugee seats should be resolved through the Legislative Assembly.
Questioning the committee’s stance, he asked how Kashmiri refugees could be excluded from the electoral process and denied representation.
The defence minister further said that the word “Azad” in Azad Jammu and Kashmir existed because of Pakistan’s support and sacrifices. According to him, AJK’s freedom and status had been secured and protected by Pakistanis from all provinces.
He noted that soldiers serving in the mountains to defend Kashmir belonged to every ethnic group of Pakistan, including Punjabis, Baloch, Pashtuns and Sindhis.
Unrest continues across AJK
Meanwhile, reports from the region indicated that activists and supporters of the banned JAAC had gathered on the outskirts of Rawalakot from different directions and were determined to continue towards Muzaffarabad, the regional capital.
On Tuesday night, large groups of protesters from Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimber and Dadyal entered Poonch district through Tatta Pani despite clashes with law enforcement personnel. Several casualties were reported during the violence, although officials had yet to confirm the figures.
The following day, protesters who had spent the night in various locations across Hajira tehsil resumed their journey towards Khaigalla, approximately 10 kilometres from Rawalakot, where another rally from Sudhnoti district joined them.
According to eyewitnesses and official sources, the protesters reached Chehr Bazar by evening and established camps in the industrial area near the Eidgah on the eastern side of Rawalakot.
A separate group from the Mang and Thorar areas of Poonch district camped at the city’s bus terminal on the southern side, while a smaller contingent from Bagh district stayed at a high school in Kotehri village to the north.
Residents reported that Rawalakot, like many other parts of AJK, remained completely shut down on Wednesday. Public transport services were suspended, and only limited private traffic was seen on the roads.
Throughout the day, announcements from mosque loudspeakers urged residents to restrict their movements and warned outsiders against entering the town, cautioning them about possible consequences.
Local sources said security personnel had erected barricades on roads leading into Rawalakot and deployed forces at multiple locations to prevent protesters from entering the city.
A senior government official told Dawn that Umar Nazir Kashmiri, regarded as one of the JAAC’s hardline leaders, had reportedly submitted a six-point proposal to authorities in an effort to ease tensions.
The proposal reportedly called for the withdrawal of the Home Department’s notification declaring the JAAC a banned organisation, action regarding deaths that occurred during the protests and related cases, removal of restrictions on movement and the initiation of negotiations.
The petition also suggested that both protesters and security personnel should remain at their current positions until a decision was reached. According to the official, Umar Nazir assured authorities that protesters would not advance further.
However, no JAAC representative was available to either confirm or deny the claim.
Government crackdown intensifies
Last Friday, following the JAAC’s announcement of a strike scheduled for June 9, the AJK government officially declared the organisation proscribed, accusing it of involvement in terrorism and activities harmful to the state’s peace and security.
The next day, authorities launched a widespread crackdown, arresting dozens of JAAC leaders and activists from various parts of the region.
In addition, sedition proceedings were initiated against two leaders, while a reward of Rs10 million was announced for information leading to the arrest of four wanted members.
Tensions escalated sharply after a violent protest in Rawalakot in which at least four law enforcement personnel and seven civilians were killed.
To bolster security, the federal government deployed paramilitary forces to support the region’s overstretched police force. Authorities have also advised visitors to postpone travel plans to AJK until June 20 due to the volatile situation.