Opposition and treasury benches in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly on Friday vowed to resist any attempt aimed at divesting the liberated territory and its people of the rights they had gained through a landmark constitutional amendment some four years ago.
The rare consensus was demonstrated by them during a debate on an adjournment motion by PML-N leader and former AJK premier Raja Farooq Haider, wherein he took strong exception to a recent letter from the Ministry of Kashmir affairs wherein nomination of three representatives from the AJK government was sought for a sub-committee constituted to “examine and finalise the proposed draft of 15th amendment.”
Haider noted that the state of Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory whose future status was to be determined by its inhabitants through a UN sponsored plebiscite and it was surprising that the Foreign Office of Pakistan had been ignored in the process, making people feel that the “governments in India and Pakistan had acceded to division of Kashmir under some tacit agreement.”
“The letter has disregarded facts and attempts to undermine the honour of the Legislative Assembly. It has not only hurt the Kashmiris who have always braved India’s machinations but also runs the risk of creating misgivings between the Kashmiris and the government of Pakistan,” he maintained.
Initiating debate on his motion after the Friday prayers break amid thin attendance on both sides of the divide, Haider recalled that this house had “restored the constitutional, legal, financial and administrative authority of the AJK government in accordance with the spirit of parliamentary democracy and the aspirations of Kashmiris” through the 13th amendment in June 2018.
He expressed his gratitude to Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for facilitating the approval of 13th amendment.
Haider, who had brought sundry documents and booklets to quote during his speech, traced the history of AJK’s constitutional evolution right from 1947 amid “unrelenting mischief-making by the Ministry of Kashmir affairs” and said it was why the AJK leadership had agreed to formation of AJK Council during the era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
“However, little did they know that Mr Bhutto will be removed from power after a few years and the Council will become another Chiragh Baig for us,” he said in a reference to a notorious despotic Afghan governor of Kashmir in Mughal rule.
Declaring himself a nationalist “like all Kashmiris” he wondered why someone had coined the “absurd term of sub-nationalist.”
However, he asked the nationalists that while presenting their viewpoint, they should not lay any blame on the state of Pakistan - the only country on the back of the Kashmiris from day one.
“Please exercise caution and do not equate Pakistan with India.”
Haider made it clear that as long as AJK remained in existence with the existing special status, the struggle for freedom of the India occupied territory would continue with vigour.
Without naming anyone, the former premier said someone wanted to take undue benefit of the compulsions of the [PML-N led] central government to get the AJK constitution amended.
“But let me declare this will not happen,” he said, expressing the hope that ruling PTI would also resist the move.
Warning that such attempts were bound to create anti-Pakistan sentiments, the former AJK premier said he was tight-lipped on many issues lest it could create unrest.
Barring few, most of his views were endorsed not only by Sardar Hassan Ibrahim of Jammu Kashmir People’s Party and Bazil Ali Naqvi of Pakistan People’s Party from the opposition benches, but also minister for education Deevan Ali Chughtai, minister for local government Khawaja Farooq Ahmed and some other treasury members.
“Even though no Pakistani government pursued the Kashmir issue the way we expected, yet we are Pakistanis from beginning to end… Why do you do things that create misgivings about you,” said Ibrahim, urging all parties to rise above political differences and unitedly reject any move against constitutional and financial rights.
Chughtai who spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was of the view that neither Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif nor any other federal government dignitary was behind the move.
“It’s the corrupt officials of the AJK Council who want restoration of previous status.”
Ahmed assured that the PTI government would not compromise on the constitutional and financial rights of the people. “Rather we will try to acquire more rights.”
Later, the chair prorogued the session sine die with a note that debate would be resumed whenever the house held the next sitting.
Tariq Naqash
