Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif has stated that the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are scheduled for July 27, while the Kashmir Action Committee (KAC) is demanding the abolition of the 12 seats in the Kashmir Assembly that are elected from Pakistan. He said that raising such a demand before the elections is equivalent to undermining the electoral process.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, he wrote that democratic principles require those making this demand to present their case before the people on election day and allow the public to decide the future structure of representation through their vote. According to him, this would be the democratic way to address the issue; otherwise, the demand amounts to political blackmail.
Khawaja Asif said that there is one full seat in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly allocated to Kashmiri refugees from Sialkot city and tehsil, as well as two seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan. He added that constituencies of the Kashmir Assembly are also spread across other parts of Pakistan.
He noted that the majority of Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan are originally from Jammu. Referring to the events of October 1947, he said that the refugees sacrificed more than two lakh lives and settled in Sialkot city and tehsil. He further claimed that millions of women were subjected to violence and thousands of daughters were abducted during that time, and questioned how such refugees could now be deprived of their rights.
Khawaja Asif further stated that these refugees spent decades living in extreme poverty and were deprived of necessities of life. He said they have paid a very heavy price for freedom and urged that the democratic process be followed to seek and recognise their opinions.
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