Two more parties registered by AJK Election Commission

             The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission has registered two more political parties — All Jammu and Kashmir Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Party — under the relevant provisions of the AJK Elections Act and Rules 2020. 

According to a press release issued on Saturday, the registrations were approved after scrutiny of documents submitted by the parties in light of the High Court’s Oct 5, 2023, judgement in the case titled Waheed Ashraf versus Election Commission and others and the relevant electoral laws. 

The commission said the deadline for registration of political parties, earlier fixed for May 30 under its action plan, had been extended by 10 days to facilitate more parties in fulfilling legal requirements. 

The registration process will now continue till June 10. 

The commission invited all political parties meeting the criteria laid down in the AJK Elections Act 2020 to submit their applications along with the required documents before the revised deadline. 

Reiterating its commitment to holding free, fair and transparent elections, the commission said it was taking timely steps to strengthen and improve the electoral system.

Tariq Naqash

Crackdown ordered on illegal wall chalking, banners in Muzaffarabad division

  Responding to a long-felt public demand, a senior government official has ordered a strict crackdown on wall chalking, illegal banners, hoardings, and unauthorized advertising across Muzaffarabad Division.

According to an official handout, Divisional Commissioner Badar Munir directed the deputy commissioners of Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley and Jhelum Valley to ensure the immediate removal of all illegal banners, posters and wall chalking to preserve the beauty and cleanliness of urban areas. 

The directive reminded all relevant departments that under the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prohibition of Wall Chalking and Affixing Hoarding Act, 2001, displaying advertisements or carrying out wall chalking on public or private property without permission was a punishable offence. 

It said no individual, organisation, institution or political party could carry out wall chalking or painting at any public or private place in violation of the law. 

According to the directive, violators could face up to six months imprisonment or a fine of Rs20,000. The cost incurred on removing illegal wall chalking or hoardings would also be recovered from those responsible. 

The commissioner instructed all departments to ensure strict enforcement of the law. 

Two months ago, Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore had ordered the launch of a comprehensive beautification and civic improvement campaign in Muzaffarabad and other urban centres of the state. 

Following those directives, civic authorities launched facelift drives in the capital and elsewhere, converting dusty roadsides into grassy strips and decorating medians with seasonal flowers and ornamental plants. 

Monuments at major roundabouts were also being renovated, while bridges and public walls were being whitewashed and painted to give the cities a cleaner and more festive appearance. 

However, despite repeated official warnings in the past, illegal wall chalking and unauthorised banners have continued to reappear across towns and bazaars, largely because violators seldom face meaningful punitive action. 

Mr Munir warned that no one would be allowed to deface public or private property at a time when substantial public funds were being spent on improving the appearance of cities and towns. 

“Strict legal action will be taken against all violators without discrimination, and no political, religious or commercial group will be allowed to damage the beauty of our cities through illegal displays and wall chalking,” he said.

        Tariq Naqash

JAAC accuses govts of reneging on agreements, threatens wider agitation

Leaders of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on Saturday alleged that the ongoing political crisis in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) stemmed from the failure of the governments in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad to implement written agreements and accused the authorities of distorting facts before the public. 

Addressing a press conference at the Central Press Club, JAAC core members Raja Amjad Ali Khan, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Anjum Zaman Awan and Raja Sohaib warned that if the government failed to implement the agreement and the charter of demands by May 31, the rights movement would go ahead with its already announced programme of a strike on June 9 during which “people would take to the streets in far greater numbers than before.” 

They maintained that the issue of the 12 reserved seats was not merely political but also linked to constitutional, legal and public rights. They said educated youth, lawyers, students and people from various walks of life fully understood that representation in any constitutional structure or assembly was directly connected to the social contract between the people and the state. 

The JAAC leaders alleged that the government had not only treated the negotiations unseriously but had also violated commitments made during the talks. They said constitutional amendments were never introduced abruptly on the floor of an assembly but were normally the result of detailed consultations and consensus among political parties. 

However, they claimed that in AJK even elected representatives appeared to be acting under the directions of a few influential personalities instead of exercising independent decision-making powers. 

They said senior leaders of Pakistan’s major political parties, including Qamar Zaman Kaira and Rana Sanaullah, had participated in the negotiations, signed the agreement and assured its implementation, but later reneged on their commitments. 

Had the government and political parties been serious, decisions taken by the negotiating committees would have been implemented and public trust would not have been undermined, they added. 

Referring to Pakistan-based Kashmiri refugees, the JAAC leaders alleged that people with little practical connection to the state were being granted representation in the AJK Legislative Assembly. 

A large number of “fake State Subject certificates” had been issued in the name of refugees and seats created on that basis, they claimed, adding that if these seats were genuinely linked to the Kashmir dispute and United Nations resolutions, the government should clearly identify the relevant resolutions and clauses providing them protection. 

“If AJK is regarded as the representative government of the entire erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, why does no representation exist for Gilgit-Baltistan and Indian-occupied Ladakh?” they questioned.

Referring to the negotiation process, the JAAC leaders said it had been decided at the previous meeting of the special constitutional committee that both sides would exchange questionnaires on the justification and utility of the refugee seats and share their responses at the May 25 meeting. 

“While we handed over our questionnaire, we did not receive any set of questions from the other side (AJK and Pakistan governments). Ironically, our questionnaire was leaked to the media and selected individuals, damaging the atmosphere of trust-building,” said Mr Khan, one of the three JAAC members on the special constitutional committee. 

The JAAC leaders asserted that they had acted responsibly and continued negotiations despite public pressure, but the government’s “non-serious attitude” had worsened the situation.

“So far, there are no signs of the May 25 meeting, which shows that the other side itself is dragging its feet on the talks,” Mr Khan said, adding that the main purpose of the press conference was to place the actual situation before the public. 

The JAAC leaders stressed that the protest movement was not confined to the issue of the 12 seats alone but also covered state resources, employment, educational rights, refugee policy and the allotment of precious land to influential local figures under the category of “local destitute.” 

They demanded a complete investigation into all allotments made under the “local destitute” category since 1947, alleging that 99 per cent of such cases had benefited influential and undeserving individuals while genuine claimants were ignored. 

They also criticised the government’s handling of local bodies, saying that the authorities had made tall claims about devolving powers to local councils but had neither transferred powers nor released adequate funds. 

The JAAC leaders reiterated that their movement had remained peaceful since its inception and would continue to remain so. 

“We have never talked about armed struggle. On June 9 too, we will come out peacefully. People will be mobilised under SOPs and a peaceful sit-in will be staged in Muzaffarabad,” they said.

Tariq Naqash

AJK govt upgrades Garhi Dupatta to tehsil status

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Friday upgraded Garhi Dupatta to the status of a tehsil, fulfilling what he described as a longstanding demand of local residents. 

Addressing a public gathering in Garhi Dupatta at the invitation of his special assistant Mubashir Munir Awan, the prime minister said the Pakistan Peoples Party government had fulfilled within six months the promises it had made to the people. 

Garhi Dupatta is a sprawling town situated about 25 kilometres south of Muzaffarabad on both banks of the Jhelum River. 

“Today, I have not come merely to announce the upgradation of Garhi Dupatta to a tehsil, but to hand over the notification after its formal implementation. I congratulate you on this achievement,” Mr Rathore said. 

He said the PPP was the only public-oriented political party that spoke for the rights of ordinary people. 

Referring to Mr Awan, he said: “Mubashir Munir Awan is a future MLA. God willing, the PPP era is returning and the process of public welfare and development will continue in the same spirit.” 

Earlier, the prime minister received a rousing welcome upon his arrival in Garhi Dupatta bazaar, where flower petals were showered on him and the area echoed with slogans of “Jiye Bhutto”. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Awan thanked the prime minister and said the longstanding dream of the people of Garhi Dupatta had finally been realised. 

“This decision of the government will directly benefit the people,” he said, adding that former prime minister Mumtaz Hussain Rathore had also played a major role in the development of Garhi Dupatta during his tenure. 

Later, the prime minister visited Mr Awan’s residence to offer condolences and Fateha on the death of his uncle, Mohammad Yousuf Awan. Health Minister Syed Bazil Ali Naqvi, government adviser Ahmed Sagheer, prime minister’s spokesperson Shaukat Javed Mir and others also accompanied him.

Tariq Naqash

Educator shot in Muzaffarabad succumbs to wounds

An educator originally from Indian-occupied Kashmir succumbed to his critical wounds in the early hours of Friday, nearly 20 hours after he was shot in broad daylight in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) capital, hospital and family sources confirmed. 

Arjumand Gulzar Dar, also known as Hamzah Burhan, was the principal and managing director of a private school operating from a rented building along Muzaffarabad’s Western Bypass, where he was attacked around noon on Thursday. 

The suspected attacker was arrested within half an hour from a nearby ravine by a police team. According to the FIR registered at Saddar Police Station, the suspect was booked under Sections 324, 337 and 109 of the Azad Penal Code, Section 6 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and Section 15(2) of the Arms Act. 

The FIR described the incident as a targeted killing, though no motive was disclosed. Senior officials were tight-lipped on their initial findings. 

Police sources said that owing to the sensitive nature of the case, senior authorities had handed over the investigation to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). 

Mr Dar had remained on a ventilator at a local hospital before succumbing to his injuries at around 3:30am on Friday. 

Meanwhile, his body was taken by his in-laws — who also belong to occupied Kashmir — to their residence in a Rawalpindi neighbourhood. Family sources said funeral prayers were offered there at 11am on Friday, following which he was laid to rest in a local graveyard. 

In Muzaffarabad, separate funeral prayers in absentia were held at several mosques affiliated with the Jamiat Ahle-Hadith AJK, as well as at Burhan Wani Chowk near the Press Club, shortly after Friday prayers. 

Funeral prayers in absentia at Burhan Wani Chowk

“Hamzah Burhan had escaped Indian repression and was spreading the light of education with missionary zeal. His murder has deeply shocked all of us. The authorities must bring the detained suspect and any possible facilitators to justice without delay,” said Uzair Ghazali, a senior refugee leader, at the Burhan Wani Chowk gathering. 

One participant, whose two children studied at Mr Dar’s school, described him as a remarkably gentle and compassionate educationist. 

“He was exceptionally caring towards children and knew every student by name. He remained fully aware of both their academic performance and domestic challenges,” he said. 

“He would personally ensure maximum fee concessions for financially struggling families. Any concern raised by parents was addressed by the very next meeting,” he added.

Tariq Naqash

AJK HC dismisses plea against graveyard land mutation

The High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Thursday dismissed in limine a writ petition challenging the mutation of land reserved for a graveyard in Muzaffarabad’s Chehla Bandi area. 

In a detailed judgment, Acting Chief Justice Syed Shahid Bahar rejected the petition filed by Naseer Ahmed, observing that the matter had already been settled up to the apex court and could not be reopened through fresh litigation. 

The petitioner had sought to set aside Mutation No.1169 dated Jan 22, 2026, as well as an order issued by the commissioner of Muzaffarabad division on April 16, 2026. He had also requested the court to restrain authorities from dispossessing him from land bearing survey Nos 561 and 562 and allow him to deposit its market value under government notifications issued in 2024 and 2025. 

However, the court held that the dispute had already been adjudicated in an earlier writ petition filed by the same petitioner in 2016 against a July 10, 2014 notification reserving the land for a graveyard. 

That petition was dismissed by the high court in December 2020, while a subsequent civil petition for leave to appeal was also rejected by the AJK Supreme Court in March 2022. 

The judgment noted that despite those verdicts, the petitioner again approached the courts this year with “almost similar prayer based on similar facts and grounds”. 

“It is very astonishing that the instant writ petition has again been filed by the petitioner to get a similar relief from this court despite the clear-cut verdict of the Apex Court as well as this Court,” the acting chief justice observed. 

The court ruled that the principle of res judicata applied to the case, stressing that disputes once decided must attain finality. 

The judgment further observed that disputed questions of fact could not be resolved in constitutional jurisdiction without recording evidence, and noted that the inhabitants of Chehla Bandi — beneficiaries of the graveyard land — had not been made parties to the petition. 

Referring to earlier precedents, the court observed that graveyards, parks and other public-use properties could neither be allotted nor converted for private commercial or residential purposes. 

The acting chief justice termed the petitioner’s attempt to change the use of the graveyard land an unlawful act and directed civic authorities to proceed against those responsible for any illegal transfer of public property. 

The court also imposed a special cost of Rs25,000 on the petitioner, directing him to deposit the amount with the Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust within 10 days and submit the receipt to the registrar of the court, warning that “serious action” would follow in case of non-compliance.

Tariq Naqash

AJK Election Commission registers three parties, extends enlistment deadline

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Thursday officially registered three new political parties while extending the deadline for political outfits to meet statutory registration requirements by 10 days.

According to a press release issued by the commission, the Qaumi Ittehad Party (AJK), Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto) AJK, and Jammu Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazoo were registered “after a thorough scrutiny of their baseline documentation.” 

The decision was taken in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions of the AJK Elections Act and Rules 2020, alongside the framework established by the AJK High Court’s October 5, 2023 judgment in the Waheed Ashraf vs. Election Commission case, the press release added.

While the commission's initial action plan had set May 30, 2026, as the final cut-off date for political parties to seek registration, the deadline had now been extended to June 10. The 10-day extension was aimed at providing a fair window for remaining political entities to fulfil standard legal requirements and submit their credentials for evaluation, the press release said. 

The election oversight body also strongly rebutted speculative reports circulating on various social media platforms claiming that the commission had summarily cancelled the registration of 33 political parties. 

Discarding the reports as completely baseless, fabricated, and contrary to actual facts, the press release clarified that the commission has not actively revoked any party's status. It explained that previous registrations had lapsed automatically as a direct consequence of the AJK High Court's earlier verdict, rather than through executive action by the commission, and added that the current enlistment drive was purely geared toward aligning the political landscape with the High Court's directives and the Elections Act 2020.

Reaffirming its mandate, the commission reiterated its commitment to fulfilling all constitutional and statutory obligations within the stipulated timelines to ensure the upcoming electoral process is free, fair, and transparent, while strengthening the region's overall democratic infrastructure.

Tariq Naqash