In his more than an hour long speech at the swearing in of AJK Supreme Court Bar Association, at a hotel in Muzaffarabad, Haider spoke at length about a host of issues including the role and responsibilities of the government of Pakistan and AJK leadership in the wake of India’s Aug 5 move, fate of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) as well as performance of his government.
However, what caused quite a stir was his disclosure that he could be the last prime minister of the liberated territory.
“[For quite some time] I am struck by a fear ... I have been told by [some] responsible persons that you are the last prime minister of Azad Kashmir. Perhaps, afterwards, they may need a rubberstamp,” he said.
“As prime minister of Azad Kashmir, I am obliged to speak carefully but as a Kashmiri I can make no bones about my sentiments,” he added.
As the remarks went viral on social media with some variations, concerns and speculations started pouring up about the future of the liberated territory, forcing Raja Wasim Ahmed, prime minister’s spokesperson, to take to Twitter to clarify that his boss had not said it on his own but had just shared what he was told by some responsible persons.
Among other things, during his speech, Haider also discreetly opposed the idea of an ‘independent Kashmir,’ emphasising the Kashmiris to learn from the Kurds who were scattered in [and suppressed by] as many as four countries.
“We [Kashmiris} are also divided among three countries, so how many of them we will fight with?” he said.
He said he did not doubt the intentions of anyone but could not help but stress upon the people of Kashmir to unite on minimum common ground - the right to self determination to be expressed through a UN sponsored plebiscite.
“Eventually, it’s the Kashmiris that have to decide their future and not India or Pakistan,” he said.
He said it was responsibility of every Kashmiri to maintain the integrity of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, spread over 84000 sq. miles.
He said India desperately wanted Pakistan to annex GB so as to wind up the issue of Kashmir.
The AJK premier said he had made it clear to a “powerful person” in Pakistan that he could not endorse this idea [merger of GB with Pakistan].
Neither any other politician in AJK would support it, he added.
Instead, he suggested, GB should be given a setup resembling with that of the one in AJK with a joint upper house of legislature of both territories.
Alluding to his contemporary politicians in AJK, he said they too should speak on such issues as an obligation.
“Ironically, they wait that I should cross swords [with Islamabad] so that they can replace me.”
Listing the atrocities in occupied Kashmir, he warned: “If we failed to do anything, the nation will never forgive us.”
“In fact, we will also invite the wrath of the Almighty.”
He maintained that after 9/11 Pakistan had made some serious mistakes and had failed to get rid of the baggage of terrorism.
Referring to a recent presser of Ugo Astuto,European Union’s ambassador to India, he had invited EU leaders to visit AJK to see for themselves the environment here in sharp contrast to the situation in India occupied Kashmir.
He said he also tried to convince Islamabad in this regard, because it was “unwilling to allow the visit.”
“What’s the problem with you? What are you afraid of? Heavens will not fall if someone talked about independent Kashmir,” he said to Islamabad.
Haider said he could take pride in the fact that there was no political prisoner in his administered area.
He said Kashmiris wanted to save Pakistan from any problem and allegations because Pakistan was the only country at pains to secure their freedom from India.
However, he stressed that Pakistan should give up “uncalled for apprehensions and showfaith in Kashmiris.”
“I am asked that I should omit UN Charter from our [AJK] constitution. I wonder what kind of apprehensions they have been harbouring. People [in occupied Kashmir] bury their dead with Pakistani flags [wrapped around their coffins] but here you still doubt their loyalty?”
He maintained that when Pakistan and India discussed Kashmir, it emerged as a territorial dispute between the two countries, whereas it was an issue of right to self determination supported by as many as 12 UN Security Council resolutions.
He said since the idea of “recognition of AJK” did not go well with many people in Pakistan, he had been calling for an umbrella setup comprising AJK government and Srinagar based joint resistance leadership.
“Government of Pakistan should get an observer status for this setup in the spineless Organisation of Islamic Conference so as to give some opening to the Kashmiris.”
Disclosing that at a recent high profile meeting in Islamabad someone had suggested that the Kashmir freedom movement needed a Kashmiri face, he lamented that as yet there had been been no progress on it.
“They say something and then forget it.”
He said Indian premier Narendra Modi had chosen time for his move on occupied Kashmir after careful calculation, knowing well that the polarised Pakistani nation would not be able to do anything to thwart it.
“From here, first we bucked up Modi as a lion and afterwards we were trapped by US president Donald Trump on the issue of mediation,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s optimism ahead of India’s general elections.
The AJK premier stressed upon the government of Pakistan to create political stability for the sake of Kashmiris.
While talking about AJK, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for addressing some of its long pending issues with the state of Pakistan.
Earlier, SCBA president Khawaja Manzoor Qadir, secretary general Najmus Saqib, joint secretary Rahat Farooq Raja and other office bearers also spoke.
Tariq Naqash
