PPP warns instability could be exploited by hostile elements, says dialogue and consensus remain the way forward
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday called upon the Election Commission to withdraw the election schedule for 12 migrant seats, terming the announcement ahead of a protest call “not an appropriate decision”.
The demand comes amid tensions following a call by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for widespread protests seeking the abolition of 12 seats in the Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir who have settled in mainland Pakistan.
Just days before the protest call, the AJK Election Commission, on June 5, announced general elections for the Legislative Assembly, scheduled to be held on July 27.
Read: Bilawal Bhutto urges AJK protesters to end demonstrations peacefully
Addressing a press conference at Jammu Kashmir House after a meeting of the party’s core committee, PPP AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin said the timing of the electoral announcement was inappropriate.
“Issuing the election schedule for migrant seats just three days before a protest call was not an appropriate decision,” he said.
He added that under the prevailing circumstances, holding elections appeared difficult and called for withdrawal of the schedule to allow further consultation.
“Elections in the current situation are not feasible, and the Election Commission should review its decision and continue the consultation process,” Yasin said.
He said the party did not support confrontation or political conflict, stressing that human lives could not be placed below electoral considerations.
“The PPP does not believe in confrontation. Twelve seats cannot be more valuable than human lives,” he said.
Also Read: AJK reinstates 177 FIRs against JAAC members over breach of Oct ’25 agreement
Yasin also cautioned that instability in the region could be exploited by hostile forces.
“Any instability in the region could be used by hostile elements, particularly India, which is why all stakeholders must act responsibly,” he warned.
He said dialogue and political consensus remained the only viable way forward. “Dialogue and consensus are essential to reduce tensions and address the challenges facing the region,” he added.
The PPP leader said the party’s politics had always centred on the Kashmir cause, crediting PPP founders for elevating the issue internationally.
He said that over the past seven months, efforts had been made to resolve public issues and strengthen the democratic system, adding that 37 out of 38 demands of the Awami Action Committee had been implemented, while only the constitutional matter of migrant seats remained under consideration.
He further said that all sides had shown a positive response during negotiations, adding that only a one-week extension had been requested from the Awami Action Committee, which was not accepted.
He said essential food shortages were emerging in Azad Kashmir, warning that the region was facing uncertainty and instability.
“All outstanding issues can only be resolved through dialogue, political harmony and continuity of the democratic process,” he said.
Legislative Assembly parliamentary leader Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan said all stakeholders needed to play their role in stabilising the situation.
“Elections are not more important than human lives, and hasty decisions have worsened the situation,” he said.
He called for immediate withdrawal of the election schedule to enable reconciliation.
Senior Minister Mian Abdul Waheed said protecting the state was the foremost priority.
“Azad Kashmir cannot afford further tension or confrontation in the current circumstances,” he said.
He urged all parties to resolve the issue through dialogue, stressing that Pakistan and Kashmir remained inseparable.
“No power can create a rift between Pakistan and the Kashmiri people,” he said.
He said unity among political parties, the public and overseas Kashmiris was essential to avoid further deterioration of the situation.
He added that political differences must be set aside in favour of national and state interests and called for immediate consultations to consider postponing the elections.
Those present at the press conference included parliamentary leader Sardar Yaqoob, senior minister Mian Waheed, government ministers Sardar Javed Ayub, Javed Iqbal Budhanvi, Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar or others.
Background
The recent unrest and deadly clashes in areas, including Rawalakot, where the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had been holding a sit-in outside the Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot. AJK police allege that armed JAAC members opened fire on deployed law enforcement in a planned attack, leaving four personnel dead and around 20 injured. JAAC, however, disputes this account, claiming security forces used tear gas and fired shells toward the hospital.
According to the AJK police, three individuals linked to the JAAC and four law enforcement personnel were killed during the protests on Sunday. JAAC, however, said in a statement on X that seven individuals were killed and dozens were injured when street firing was carried out in the dark after electricity was allegedly cut off.
The clash on Sunday came as the AJK government and the JAAC witnessed a face-off, as the election date for AJK was announced for July 27.
AJK’s 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees — people who fled Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1947 and 1965 and are now scattered 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 witnessed one of its most turbulent periods in October last year when protests led by the JAAC erupted over demands for constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed during the unrest.
The JAAC, which organised the protests and strike, had presented a wide-ranging charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, and the scrapping of the quota system.
Two days after the violence, the government and the JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 core and 13 additional points. Under the accord, both sides agreed to constitute a high-level committee to examine the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
Read More: Four police personnel martyred, over 20 injured in Rawalakot firing: AJK police
The unrest also triggered political upheaval in the region. The PPP subsequently moved a no-confidence resolution against then Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz joining the effort. Haq, who had been elected in April 2023 with 48 votes, chose to face the vote rather than resign.
On Nov 17, 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 every major party attended — except PTI and the JAAC, who boycotted it.
The JAAC’s position is that the government had already rejected its written proposals submitted on May 30, so attending would be futile. It had proposed either keeping symbolic refugee representation until the Kashmir dispute is permanently resolved, or replacing the 12 assembly seats with 4 seats in the AJK Council — a body chaired by the Prime Minister, which it argued would better preserve the political dimension of the Kashmir cause.
The APC rejected any changes outside the constitutional and legislative framework, saying only the elected assembly could alter refugee seat arrangements. The JAAC called the resolution “a page and a half of utterly trivial lines” and accused participants of gathering to serve their own interests rather than the public’s.
