Refugee seats in AJK an emotional issue, says Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has termed the issue of the 12 refugee seats in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) an emotional matter, stressing that any reforms should not compromise the rights and representation of Kashmiri refugees.

Khawaja Asif said he had listened to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s speech on the matter and agreed that reforms were needed, but emphasized that the sanctity of refugee seats and the voting rights of Kashmiri refugees must be protected.

“The issue of the 12 refugee seats is an emotional one. I believe the sanctity of these seats and the right to vote could be affected, and the rights of refugees from occupied Kashmir should not be abolished,” he said.

The defence minister recalled the sacrifices made during the partition of the subcontinent, citing historical accounts of large-scale killings and migration. Referring to a book written by a British author, he said hundreds of thousands of people were martyred during the violence that accompanied partition.

“A massacre took place in East Punjab, and the migrants made immense sacrifices. There are still refugees in Pakistan who arrived during the 1950s and 1960s,” he added.

Khawaja Asif said he agreed with Bilawal Bhutto that the existing system could not continue indefinitely and that the constitutional and political status of both Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir should be improved.

He also expressed reservations about the current method of Senate representation, stating that he disagreed with the direct system of membership in the upper house.