PPP AJK Demands Withdrawal of Refugee Seats Election Schedule

ISLAMABAD (Rizwan Abbasi): The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Azad Jammu and Kashmir Core Committee has called on the Election Commission to withdraw the schedule for AJK elections and postpone the polls in view of the prevailing political and administrative situation in the region.

The demand was made by PPP AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin while addressing a press conference attended by former President and Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Sardar Yaqoob Khan, Senior Minister Mian Abdul Waheed, Information Secretary Javed Ayub, Javed Budhanvi, Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar, Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, Yasir Sultan, and other party leaders.

Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Yasin said that safeguarding the state should be the foremost priority under the current circumstances.

He criticized the announcement of the election schedule for the refugee seats, stating that it had been issued in haste despite the fact that 37 out of 38 demands of the Public Action Committee had already been addressed during negotiations.

He urged the Election Commission to withdraw the election schedule and allow further consultations among stakeholders to resolve the remaining issues through dialogue.

Former President and Prime Minister Sardar Yaqoob Khan said the matter should have been resolved earlier on moral and principled grounds. He reiterated that the bond between Kashmir and Pakistan was unbreakable and that no Kashmiri could even contemplate separation from Pakistan.

He emphasized that dialogue remained the only viable solution and should continue under all circumstances. Referring to the All Parties Conference, he said PPP had clearly presented its position regarding the 12 refugee seats.

He noted that while a protest call had been announced for June 9, the election schedule was issued on June 5, creating further complications.
Sardar Yaqoob said there was still room for negotiations and consensus-building.

He stressed that the situation in Rawalakot and other parts of the state should be resolved through talks, adding that those injured or martyred in recent incidents were all “our own people.” He also stated that India would never succeed in weakening the relationship between Pakistan and Kashmir.

Senior Minister Mian Abdul Waheed said the most pressing need at present was to protect the state from further instability. He warned that Azad Kashmir could not afford additional tensions and confrontation and urged all parties to immediately engage in dialogue.
He reaffirmed that Kashmir and Pakistan were inseparable, adding that Pakistan had always been, and would remain, the destination and aspiration of the Kashmiri people. He said the morale of Kashmiris remained high and their affection for Pakistan had not diminished.

Mian Abdul Waheed also stated that India would never succeed in creating a divide between Kashmir and Pakistan. He called for unity among overseas Kashmiris and Pakistanis and urged all political forces to prioritize the state’s interests over political differences.
According to him, the current crisis could only be resolved through dialogue, mutual understanding and consultation. He maintained that there was still time for all stakeholders to sit together, find an acceptable solution and postpone the elections.

At the conclusion of the press conference, PPP leaders reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the state’s interests, maintaining peace and stability, and continuing their political struggle for the Kashmir cause.