Talks between federal team, JAAC end without accord; June 9 strike call remains in force

  Abolishing 12 assembly seats for Pakistan-based refugees remains key stumbling; Government insists dialogue process will continue next week
 

Marathon talks between a federal ministerial team and the core leadership of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) ended without an agreement late on Saturday night, with the latter announcing that its June 9 strike call would go ahead as scheduled.

"Today, we held talks with the representatives of the governments of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) throughout the day on all issues, including the 12 refugee seats. Despite the breach of trust, we had detailed discussions, and proposals were exchanged as well," JAAC core member Shaukat Nawaz Mir told reporters soon after the committee's leaders emerged from the meeting room at around 11:20pm.

"The official representatives asked us to postpone our strike call. But we have decided to keep it intact and we call upon the masses to expedite preparations for it," he said.

Mr Mir hastened to make it clear that the JAAC had "welcomed every serious effort on the part of the government for resolution of demands" and renewed its resolve to extend a similar gesture in future.

The talks were convened in an effort to persuade the JAAC to withdraw its planned strike and resolve differences over its charter of demands.

The process, which continued for more than nine hours with breaks in between, assumed added significance because the strike call has raised concerns about its possible impact on AJK's forthcoming general elections, expected in the last week of July.

Although the election schedule has yet to be announced, observers believe any prolonged agitation could complicate preparations for the polls.

The federal delegation comprised cabinet members Rana Sanaullah, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Ahsan Iqbal of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, alongside former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and former federal minister Qamar Zaman Kaira of the Pakistan Peoples Party.

AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, PPP regional president Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, PML-N regional president Shah Ghulam Qadir and PML-N regional secretary general Chaudhry Tariq Farooq also attended the talks.

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam was absent. His absence came amid the JAAC's repeated demand that he be excluded from the negotiations due to alleged bias. However, members of the federal delegation maintained that he was occupied with engagements related to the Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

The JAAC was represented by 16 core members, including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Raja Amjad Ali Khan, Anjum Zaman Awan, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Saad Ansari and Imtiaz Aslam.

The first round of talks began shortly before 2pm and continued until 4pm. Participants said all but one of the 38 points in the JAAC's charter of demands were discussed.

The remaining issue was the most contentious: the abolition of 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for Pakistan-based refugees from Indian-occupied Kashmir. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal left for Islamabad before the first session concluded, citing prior engagements.

The refugee seats remain a key disagreement. The PML-N's AJK chapter opposes their abolition, expecting to perform strongly in the 10 constituencies located within Punjab.

The PPP, which currently enjoys the support of five refugee lawmakers, is reportedly less invested in retaining the seats due to limited electoral prospects.

During a break in the talks, members of the official delegations remained at the hotel for lunch. However, JAAC representatives declined to join them and instead drove to Chattar Chowk for a meal, saying they did not wish to be part of what they described as the wasteful use of taxpayers' money.

Speaking to reporters during the interval, JAAC leader Umar Nazir Kashmiri rejected the impression that the talks were focused solely on the refugee seats issue.

"Negotiations are being held on all points included in our charter of demands, not just the 12 seats," he said.

"If the issue of these seats is resolved, we will withdraw our strike call," he added.

            Mr Kashmiri maintained that the abolition of elite privileges was an equally important demand.

            "We want an end to the privileges enjoyed by rulers, the bureaucracy and the judiciary at the expense of poor taxpayers," he said.

The second session began at 6:10pm and concluded at 11:20pm.

A short while later, Rana Sanaullah and other members of the federal delegation also spoke to reporters, insisting that the negotiations had not broken down.

"The negotiations have absolutely not failed; this process will continue," Mr Sanaullah said.

"We held the meeting in a very good atmosphere. We also gave some suggestions, and they did too. The process of dialogue and consultation on these issues will continue next week as well."

He said the AJK government and the opposition PML-N had agreed to convene an all-parties conference on the situation and the JAAC's demands so that all stakeholders could be taken into confidence. According to him, another round of talks was expected on June 6 or 7 following the conference.

Responding to a question about the possible impact of the dispute on the forthcoming elections, Mr Sanaullah said the polls would be held in accordance with the Constitution and expressed confidence that the situation would be defused before then.

Tariq Naqash

Cancer-stricken mother’s final wish fulfilled as son’s nikah solemnised in hospital ward

In a heart-rending yet profoundly moving scene, the nikah of a young lawyer was solemnised in the pulmonology ward of a hospital in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s capital on Thursday night to fulfil the final wish of his ailing mother, who passed away only hours later after a prolonged battle with cancer.

The ceremony took place shortly after Maghrib prayers in the ward where 60-year-old Robina Bibi, a widow and mother of advocate Sardar Faiz, had been admitted after her condition deteriorated critically earlier this week.

According to family members, Robina Bibi had been battling ovarian cancer with remarkable courage and determination for nearly three years. However, on Sunday, her health worsened sharply and she was shifted to the Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), where doctors kept her under constant observation.

A day before she was taken to the hospital, she told Sardar Adnan, one of her son’s cousins, that arrangements should be made for Mr Faiz’s wedding with his maternal cousin within two weeks.

“When she was admitted to hospital, she told me that since her life was on a bonus, the nikah should be solemnised under any circumstances on the second or third day of Eid,” Mr Adnan told Dawn.

On Wednesday evening, the first day of Eidul Azha, she lost consciousness and never regained it. By Thursday noon, doctors had virtually lost hope for her survival.

Faced with the grim reality, the family decided to fulfil her wish without delay.

Some family members rushed to the bride’s home to formally seek her hand for Mr Faiz and requested that the nikah be solemnised the same evening — a proposal her family agreed to.

Thus, amid the quiet corridors of the hospital and the subdued sobs of relatives, the nikah ceremony was held in the ward itself.

A cousin brought a new white suit for the 26-year-old groom, while another arranged a traditional turban. The bride arrived at the hospital along with her parents and siblings.

In the 10-bed ward, the ceremony was attended not only by close relatives but also by several patients and their attendants, besides a female doctor and supporting staff.

“I saw something like this happening in a hospital ward for the first time. It was an intensely emotional scene and many people were struggling to hold back tears,” said the doctor, identified only as Javeria.

A video clip recorded during the ceremony captured perhaps its most moving moment: the groom sitting beside his unconscious mother, holding her hand as the clergyman solemnising the nikah continued to offer supplications.

“It seemed as though she was waiting only for this moment,” said Shiraz Khaliq, a cousin who was also among the attendees. “After the nikah, aunty’s face looked calm and peaceful for the first time in many days.”

Family members said Robina Bibi appeared peaceful following the ceremony and breathed her last at around 4am on Friday.

She was later laid to rest in a local graveyard in Gojra before Friday prayers.

“But little did I imagine that the nikah would take place in such extraordinary circumstances and with such haste,” Mr Faiz said quietly while receiving mourners at his residence.

The young advocate’s life itself had been shaped by tragedy and resilience. He was barely three years old when his father died in flash floods in Muscat, Oman, where he had been working to support the family.

Since then, Robina Bibi had single-handedly raised her son through years of hardship, dedicating her life to his upbringing and education.

“My mother was both my mother and father,” Mr Faiz said. “Everything I am today is because of her sacrifices.”

“Even in her final moments, her only concern was my future,” he added quietly.

Many of those who attended the unusual ceremony said it was not merely a nikah, but the completion of a mother’s final prayer and a son’s ultimate act of love and obedience.

Tariq Naqash

Seven local picnickers killed in AJK accident

Seven local picnickers were killed after a loader rickshaw carrying them plunged into a deep ravine in the remote Haveli district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), prompting the government to announce two days of mourning in the area, officials said on Friday.

The deceased, aged between 20 and 30 years, belonged to Jokan Ganji Galli and Kalsan villages and were close relatives.

They were returning to Forward Kahuta, the district headquarters, after a sightseeing trip to Hilla’n waterfall when the accident occurred near Mannumor, on the outskirts of Khurshidabad, on Thursday afternoon.

The loader rickshaw, comparatively longer than a normal three-wheeler, reportedly skidded off the road and plunged around 400 feet into a ravine, leaving the vehicle completely wrecked.

Two persons — Mohammad Idrees Gakhar, who was behind the wheel, and Sardar Bilal Iftikhar — died on the spot, while the remaining five sustained critical injuries.

A doctor at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Forward Kahuta, requesting anonymity, confirmed to Dawn that two of the victims brought there were “dead on arrival,” while the others had suffered severe head and spinal injuries.

“If you see the condition of the iron-made rickshaw, which was completely smashed, you can imagine what happened to the human beings travelling in it,” he said.

The doctor said the injured were administered first aid but, due to the unavailability of surgeons and ventilators at the DHQ hospital, they had to be shifted to the army’s Mobile Surgical Team (MST) in nearby Tachhan village.

From there, the injured were moved to the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalakot, headquarters of neighbouring Poonch district, where three of them — Faisal Iqbal Gakhar; Aqib Hidayat Khan; and Umar Iqbal Khan — succumbed to their injuries.

The remaining two injured — Waqar Riaz Khan and Shahzeb Afridi — were shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, where they passed away on Friday morning. 

In their initial report, police attributed the accident to “negligence, reckless driving and speeding” on the part of the driver.

However, Hammad Bukhari, a local journalist, termed the conclusion premature, pointing out that there were no eyewitnesses and all seven occupants of the vehicle had died.

         Funeral prayers for four of the deceased were offered at Jokan Ganji Galli before Friday prayers, while those for two others were held in Forward Kahuta after prayers. The funeral of the seventh victim, whose body arrived from Islamabad later, was held on Saturday. 

At a condolence reference in Kahuta, speakers criticised the district administration over what they described as a delayed rescue response, and paid tributes to the residents of Khurshidabad, including women, for retrieving the injured and transporting the bodies using loader vehicles due to the absence of government ambulances.

They urged Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, who represents Haveli’s sole constituency, to order an inquiry into the alleged administrative negligence.

Lamenting the “poor condition of roads” in the area, they said that since most routes near the Line of Control were strategically important defence roads, they should be upgraded to National Highway Authority standards to help prevent frequent accidents.

Both the federal and AJK governments should take practical measures for improving rescue services, healthcare facilities, traffic management and road infrastructure in Haveli district, they added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rathore expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and announced two-day mourning in the district.

Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, he said the government stood by them in this difficult time.

He announced Rs one million for the heirs of each victim. 

According to his spokesperson, the prime minister had sought a report on the accident and directed the authorities to take strict action against vehicles operating without fitness certificates.

Road accidents are common in AJK’s mountainous areas and are often blamed on negligent driving, poor road conditions and unfit vehicles.

Two days before Eid, two cousins were killed and a third injured when a car plunged into a ravine in the Jhelum Valley district.

Earlier this month, four persons were killed and two others were injured after a passenger vehicle tumbled more than 300 feet before plunging near a fast-flowing stream in Neelum Valley.

Tariq Naqash

Road accident claims lives of two cousins ahead of Eid

Eid festivities turned into mourning for a family in the border town of Chakothi in Jhelum Valley district after its two young members were killed and another injured in a car accident on Monday evening.

According to local officials, the accident occurred near Sain Bagh when a car bearing Islamabad registration number AXD-819 plunged hundreds of feet into a ravine due to reasons yet to be ascertained.

As a result, Owais Mughal, 25, son of Abdul Rahim Mughal and brother of District Health Officer Jhelum Valley Dr Tahir Rahim Mughal, and his cousin Taimoor Mughal, 31, son of Nazir Mughal, died on the spot.

Owais, who worked in Saudi Arabia, was home on vacation while his cousin served as a dental technician in the AJK health department.

A third occupant of the vehicle, Waheed Mughal, 30, also their cousin, sustained injuries and was shifted to the hospital, where his condition was said to be out of danger.

 The trio had gone to Lamnian for tea, and the accident occurred on their way back home at around 7:50pm.

Funeral prayers for the deceased were offered separately on Tuesday in Chakothi and Nikka Mughlan, with a large number of people from different walks of life, including political leaders and government officials, in attendance.

In a statement, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore expressed deep grief over the tragic accident and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. He prayed for eternal peace for the deceased and wished a speedy recovery for the injured man.

Tariq Naqash

 

PTI completes candidate interviews for AJK polls despite ‘challenges’

The parliamentary board of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has successfully concluded its interview process for the forthcoming general elections, receiving a total of 186 applications across the region despite “severe political and administrative challenges.”

This was stated by the party’s regional Information Secretary Azhar Gillani in a press release on Monday. 

He said the selection process wrapped up in Mirpur late on Sunday evening following extensive interviews spanning all three divisions of the territory.

He said the party received 53 applications from Mirpur division, 44 from Muzaffarabad division, 41 from Poonch division, and 36 from the Jammu and Kashmir refugees constituencies, covering both the Jammu and Valley seats.

Out of the total applications received, 12 remain pending due to incomplete documentation, he added. 

Mr Gillani highlighted that despite the party lacking formal registration in AJK and facing an uphill political battle, applications were received from all 33 territorial constituencies as well as all refugee segments. He termed this “overwhelming participation” a clear testament to the “public's continued trust in Imran Khan’s ideology.”

The PTI leader further announced that the parliamentary board, operating under the chairmanship of party’s regional president and former AJK prime minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi, will expedite the ticket distribution process immediately after Eid. The official lineup of candidates is expected to be announced shortly thereafter, he said.

Vowing to contest the elections with full force, the PTI information secretary stated that neither the lack of formal party registration nor the deprivation of their electoral symbol would deter them from entering the field. 

“Our party will fight the current system with full might and repeat the political history of February 8 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.”

Tariq Naqash

PAC chairman warns against ‘divisive narratives’ in AJK

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly Abdul Majid Khan on Monday condemned what he described as anti-state and divisive narratives being spread in the territory and urged the public to identify those behind such campaigns. 

Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of district and tehsil bodies of the Pathan Welfare Association at a local hotel, Mr Khan said attempts were being made to create divisions between locals and migrants as well as between Kashmiris and Pakistanis in Muzaffarabad, which he said had historically remained a peaceful and harmonious city. 

He also criticised social media users for spreading rumours regarding the alleged entry of terrorists into AJK and Punjab, saying such propaganda weakened Pakistan’s position and provided material to Indian media. 

“The public should decide whose agenda these people are serving,” he said. 

Referring to the role of Pashtuns in the liberation of the region, Mr Khan said the “Pathan nation” had rendered immense sacrifices in 1947. 

“It is because of the bravery of the Pashtuns that we are breathing in free air today,” he said, adding that many people claimed to champion the Kashmir freedom movement, but it was the “courageous Pathans” who had sacrificed their lives and wealth for the liberation of the territory. 

Mr Khan also asserted that the people of AJK were proud to be Pakistanis. 

The ceremony was also addressed by the association’s central president, Ghani-ur-Rehman Khattak, retired Col Abdul Majid Khan, former MLA Gulzar Fatima, former Mansehra nazim Baladar Khan, former administrator District Council Jhelum Valley Fareed Khan, Zahidul Qamar, and some other leaders. 

According to speakers, the association had no political, linguistic or group-specific agenda and had been working since 2001 for brotherhood, national unity and public service. 

They claimed that nearly one million Pashtuns were living in AJK and had played a key role in the development and defence of both Pakistan and AJK. However, they regretted what they termed inadequate representation of Pashtuns in governance and decision-making processes. 

“This state belongs to us too. We liberated it and we will defend it,” Mr Khattak said. 

The speakers also warned India against any “misadventure” towards Pakistan or AJK, claiming that Pashtuns living in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India would respond in the same way “as in 1947”. 

Tributes were also paid to the Pakistan Armed Forces and Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir for what the speakers described as their courageous defence of the country. 

While MLA Khan administered oaths to the newly elected district office-bearers, Ms Fatima and retired Col Khan administered oaths to the tehsil bodies of Muzaffarabad and Naseerabad, respectively. Fareed Khan administered oath to the Pathan Youth Council office-bearers. 

According to organisers, a large number of members of the association’s general council attended the ceremony.

Tariq Naqash

JKCHR seeks clarification on refugee seats clause in JAAC agreement

The Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights (JKCHR) has urged a high-powered committee constituted by the federal government to clarify that no final decision has been taken regarding the status of the 12 refugee seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly. 

In a detailed communication addressed to the chairman of the committee constituted under a Jan 6, 2026 notification of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON, JKCHR President Dr Syed Nazir Gilani expressed “serious constitutional, procedural and representational concerns” over what he described as the “public misinterpretation” of Item 2(xii) of the agreement reached with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). 

Established in 1984, the JKCHR is a UK-based NGO enjoying Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2001. 

It pointed out that some JAAC representatives and supporters were publicly claiming through media statements and public platforms that a decision had already been taken to abolish the 12 refugee seats, an assertion the organisation described as legally untenable and unsupported by the wording of the agreement. 

Quoting the relevant clause, the JKCHR pointed out that it merely stated that “a high-powered committee comprising legal and constitutional experts will deliberate on the issue of the members of AJK Assembly other than AJK constituencies,” and did not amount to a constitutional amendment, executive determination, repeal provision or binding settlement. 

The JKCHR maintained that any public projection of a predetermined outcome before the committee had even deliberated would undermine the neutrality, procedural fairness and institutional credibility of the process. 

The organisation also highlighted what it called several constitutional and procedural ambiguities in Item 2(xii). It pointed out that while the opening sentence referred to “legal and constitutional experts”, the operative part subsequently restricted representation to “legal experts” from the governments of Pakistan and AJK and JAAC. 

According to the letter, the issue involved broader constitutional questions relating to representational legitimacy, the Interim Constitution, state subject identity and international commitments linked to the Kashmir dispute, including the UNCIP framework. 

The JKCHR further noted that the clause did not specify which authority would receive the committee’s report, whether its recommendations would be binding, or whether any constitutional amendment or legislation would be required to implement them. 

The organisation also criticised the absence of any mechanism for participation by refugee constituencies themselves, saying the committee structure recognised only the governments of Pakistan and AJK and JAAC, while excluding refugee representatives, displaced communities, bar associations and civil society groups representing affected populations. 

It argued that no constitutionally sustainable recommendation affecting refugee representation could emerge without the structured participation of the refugee constituencies and their elected representatives. 

The JKCHR also termed vague and legally uncertain the concluding portion of Item 2(xii), which placed “provisions/concessions/allocation of funds/status of ministries” in abeyance, saying it did not clarify whether assembly membership, voting rights, ministries or constitutional entitlements remained intact. 

Describing the refugee seats as symbolic of the continuity of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and recognition of displaced populations, the organisation said any alteration to the framework carried implications beyond internal administrative arrangements.

The JKCHR called upon the committee to formally clarify that no final decision had yet been taken on the refugee seats, discourage “public misinformation”, ensure participation of refugee constituencies in the deliberations, and associate constitutional experts with the process. 

In a separate letter addressed to AJK Chief Secretary Khushal Khan, Dr Gilani requested official circulation of JKCHR’s representation among the chairman, all members of the high-powered committee, the senior minister for law and justice and other relevant authorities connected with the deliberative process. 

Referring to reports that the committee’s next meeting was expected on May 25, he urged the authorities to ensure timely circulation so that JKCHR’s concerns could form part of the “official deliberative record” before any recommendation was finalised.

Tariq Naqash

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.

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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.

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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.

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Suspected RAW-linked attacker held after daylight shooting in Muzaffarabad

 

Arjumand Dar alias Hamza Burhan

A young Kashmiri educationalist who had fled the Indian-occupied Kashmir valley some eight years ago in the wake of unparalleled repression and taken refuge in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was critically wounded in a targeted daylight shooting in Muzaffarabad on Thursday, in what police sources described as an attack orchestrated through local agents handled by Indian intelligence operatives. 

The attacker was arrested within half an hour after fleeing through a residential locality along a ravine, while the weapon used in the attack was also recovered, police and witnesses said. 

The victim, 30 years old Arjumand Gulzar Dar alias Hamza Burhan, was the principal and managing director of Allama Iqbal Memorial School, an educational institution operating in a rented building along Muzaffarabad’s Western Bypass. 

Originally hailing from Indian-occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama district, he had arrived in Pakistan in January 2018 for higher studies. He had reportedly married into the family of a post-1989 migrant from his home district around three years ago and was father to a toddler son, family sources said. 

Hospital sources said Mr Dar sustained three bullet wounds and remained on a ventilator in critical condition. 

Police sources said Mr Dar, whose social media activity openly reflected support for the Kashmiri freedom movement, had been facing security threats and was recently provided with two guards. 

According to investigators, he had informed his guards earlier in the day that some guests would be visiting him around noon. When the visitors arrived in a double-cabin pickup outside the school, he went to meet them without asking his guards to accompany him. 

crime scene

As he was heading back to the school after concluding the meeting inside the vehicle, he was shot from behind by a gunman who had apparently been monitoring his movements. Investigators said the assailant fired three bullets, causing the victim to collapse on the roadside in a pool of blood. 

As bystanders rushed the injured man to the Combined Military Hospital in a Suzuki van, the attacker fled towards the western side of the busy road. However, a police team led by Saddar SHO Abdul Wajid Alvi quickly launched a chase and apprehended the suspect near a ravine. 

        Video clips circulating on social media showed police forcing the suspect—a bearded man in his early 20s wearing eyeglasses—into a vehicle shortly after his

arrest.

Within minutes of the attack, several Indian media outlets reported that “Hamza Burhan” — whom India had named among the alleged conspirators in the Pulwama attack that killed more than 40 CRPF personnel in February 2019 — had been “shot dead” by unidentified assailants in Muzaffarabad. 

India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) had included Burhan in its chargesheet related to the Pulwama attack conspiracy. 

Uzair Ghazali, a senior leader of post-1989 migrants, rejected the Indian allegations, asking how a student could mastermind an attack in occupied Kashmir more than a year after leaving the territory.

“This is yet another clumsy allegation the Indian government is notorious for coining to bracket Kashmiris’ rightful freedom movement with terrorism and satisfy its fanatic vote bank,” he said.

He said over the past three decades, thousands of Kashmiris had fled arrests, torture, and persecution by Indian forces and sought refuge in AJK.

"Hamza Burhan was one among them, who built a peaceful life in Muzaffarabad as a migrant and educationist," Mr Ghazali said.

Senior police officials, including DIG Shehryar Sikander and SSP Riaz Mughal, supervised the preliminary investigation at Saddar police station, where the suspect was identified as Abdullah Kamal, son of Yasir Kamal, a resident of Nawababad in Taxila, Rawalpindi district. 

killer

While officials refrained from speaking on record about certain aspects of the investigation, sources privy to the inquiry said the suspect had confessed to being in contact through Instagram with a woman allegedly linked to India’s intelligence agency RAW, who assigned him the task of killing Mr Dar. 

According to the sources, the suspect was directed to collect a pistol and ammunition from a deserted location on the outskirts of Islamabad and spent several days practising his aim before travelling to Muzaffarabad. 

Investigators said the handler, allegedly operating through a virtual UK SIM, later shared the exact location of the school. The suspect subsequently checked into a guesthouse around 800 metres from the school on Sunday and spent the next three days surveilling the area. 

One of the school guards told police he had spotted the suspect loitering outside the institution at least twice before the attack. 

Police sealed the guesthouse and arrested its owner and manager for allegedly violating official guest-registration regulations. 

“We have established an application, Hotel Eye, through which hotel and guesthouse operators are required to share details of their guests with police so that suspicious individuals or persons involved in unlawful activities can be detected in time. But this guesthouse failed to provide any information about this suspicious person, which amounts to a serious violation of our guidelines,” SSP Mughal told this scribe. 

Police described Thursday’s attack as the second known targeted killing operation in AJK, carried out through local agents handled by RAW operatives. 

On Sept 8, 2023, Muhammad Riaz alias Abu Qasim Kashmiri — an anti-India activist formerly associated with the proscribed Jamaat-ud-Dawa — was gunned down inside a mosque in Rawalakot soon after Fajr prayers. 

The assailant, who was said to be a student belonging to southern Punjab, was later arrested by the AJK police.

Tariq Naqash