PPP-AJK Urges Election Commission to Withdraw Polling Schedule for Refugee Seats

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) chapter of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has urged the region's election commission to withdraw the election schedule for 12 refugee seats. The party stresses that dialogue is necessary to de-escalate the current crisis.

The call precedes the July 27 elections in AJK and coincides with widespread protests led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The JAAC is demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly, which are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. Elections for these specific seats are conducted separately from the 33 general seats in AJK, with refugees registered in 12 constituencies across Pakistan casting their votes.

PPP-AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, addressing a press conference, stated that negotiations and political consensus are crucial for resolving existing challenges and tensions. He highlighted the PPP's historical focus on the Kashmir issue and acknowledged government efforts over the past seven months to address public concerns, including the implementation of 37 out of 38 demands from a previous agreement with the JAAC in October last year.

Yasin noted that only the constitutional matter concerning the refugee seats remains under consideration, with alternative legal and constitutional avenues available. He described the issuance of the election timetable, just three days before JAAC’s June 9 protest call, as an inappropriate decision. He added that an extension for negotiations was requested from JAAC but not granted.

Considering the circumstances, Yasin suggested that holding elections would be difficult and urged the Election Commission to withdraw the schedule to facilitate a consultative process. He emphasized that the PPP opposes confrontation, stating that "12 refugee seats cannot be more valuable than human lives." Yasin also warned that external forces, particularly India, could exploit the situation, noting a shortage of essential commodities and uncertainty in AJK.

Parliamentary Leader in the AJK Legislative Assembly, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, echoed these demands, stating that withdrawing the schedule is imperative. Senior Minister Mian Abdul Wahid stressed that saving the state is a top priority, advocating for all parties to seek an acceptable solution through dialogue. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also supported the call for the AJK Election Commission to withdraw its “premature election schedule.”

(Source: Dawn Pakistan)