Questions why he remained in the cabinet, accuses some govt members of creating political problems for PM
Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari speaking on the floor of the National Assembly. SCREENGRAB
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday criticised Defence Minister Khawaja Asif over remarks about Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), questioning why he remained in the cabinet and accusing some government members of creating political problems for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In a television interview, Asif said Rawalakot — which has seen protests led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) — was “not Kashmir” and that he did not regard its residents as Kashmiris.
He later sought to clarify the remarks on X, saying that “Kashmiriat is defined by the sacrifices and struggles waged over almost eight decades” by Pakistanis, Kashmiris and others, “not by birth certificates”.
“There are certain ministers whose politics I do not understand. Instead of helping the prime minister, they create problems for him,” Bilawal said while addressing the National Assembly (NA) during debate on the federal budget.
The PPP chairman went on to say that every coalition partner, every member of the opposition and every citizen of Pakistan should ask “why such a minister is still in the cabinet,” he said, adding: “How is it possible for us to accept that a federal minister can say that the Kashmiris of Rawalakot are not Kashmiris?”
For the last couple of years, the local administration and the JAAC have been at loggerheads over the abolishment of 12 reserved seats in the AJK Assembly allocated for the refugees hailing from the Indian-occupied Kashmir who settled in Pakistan after 1947.
Asif on Tuesday in a post on X said, “The people of AJK, who live here in peace and tranquillity for many decades guarded by soldiers from all over Pakistan, and surely brave hearts from AJK too, need to recognise the sacrifices of Kashmiris of IIOJK and the muhajirs of 1947 and later years. Belittling these sacrifices is negating the Kashmir cause.”
The defence minister had further added that in his opinion, the Kashmiri identity was defined by the “sacrifices and struggles waged over almost eight decades by Pakistanis, including Kashmiris and all others, not by birth certificates”.
Bilawal in today’s NA session said Pakistan’s political parties needed to work together at a time of significant regional and international change. “Where Pakistan stands today, and given everything that is happening geopolitically, if all political parties unite and decide that we will collectively confront Pakistan’s challenges, then we can secure the political, economic and strategic dividends that these opportunities offer,” he said.
The PPP chairman said PM Shehbaz wanted to move the country forward in consultation with coalition partners and the opposition, arguing that many national problems could only be resolved through dialogue. “Problems can only be solved through negotiations and dialogue,” he said.
Bilawal said criticism of statements made at rallies or protests was legitimate, but argued that the comments of a serving federal minister carried a different weight. “If he is not prepared to apologise, then what justification do we have for sitting alongside that minister?” he asked.
While expressing respect for PM Shehbaz, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s longstanding association with the Kashmir cause, Bilawal said a minister’s remarks had worsened an already sensitive situation.
“Instead of extinguishing the fire, it was like pouring oil on it,” he said.
Bilawal also referred to remarks allegedly made by a minister regarding AJK elections, saying such statements had provided political space for unrest. “If a minister says that we bring 12 seats in our pocket, then how can we object when people react to such statements?” he said.
Calling for a political solution to the dispute, Bilawal suggested: “As your coalition partner, is that we should give Maulana Fazlur Rehman the space to engage with the federal government, the AJK government and the protesters so that this process reaches a conclusion and the people of Kashmir do not have to protest again and again.”
Read: AJK govt asks JAAC leaders to surrender, assures due legal process
He said all stakeholders should pursue “a political path” that would help protect the Kashmir cause while easing tensions.
The PPP chairman then turned his attention to local government issues, particularly in Karachi, accusing some members of the federal coalition, specifically Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), of misleading their allies and directing criticism towards the PPP instead of addressing grievances within the federal government.
“Your problem is not with the PPP,” he said, addressing lawmakers from Karachi. “The people creating problems for you are your own cabinet colleagues.”
He alleged that coalition partners were being offered “lollipops” instead of meaningful solutions and urged them to hold federal ministers accountable for unfulfilled commitments.
“How long will you continue to survive on lollipops?” he asked.
Bilawal defended the PPP government’s record on local government, arguing that Sindh was currently the only province where a functioning local government system was in place. “Where the PPP is in government, there is a local government system. Where the PML-N is in government, they are afraid even to hold a union council election,” he said.
He challenged political opponents to implement in Lahore the same local government model that existed in Karachi and called for local government elections to be held in Punjab and Islamabad before any constitutional amendments were considered.
The PPP chairman also pledged that local government elections would be held in Gilgit-Baltistan within 90 days if a new government was formed there with PPP participation.
Concluding his speech, Bilawal urged lawmakers to pass the budget before Ashura and avoid unnecessary political confrontation. “I also want the prime minister to succeed because if the prime minister succeeds, Pakistan succeeds,” he said.
“In my personal view, this is not the time to focus on our political differences. This is the time for us to unite and find solutions to Pakistan’s problems.”
Background
The recent unrest and deadly clashes broke out in areas, including Rawalakot, where the 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. 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 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
