Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting on Monday to deliberate on the recent Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) elections and the tense situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). According to a statement from the President's House, the two leaders also addressed national security, economic matters, the upcoming federal budget, and regional developments.
Key Discussions
The statement noted, "The discussions also covered the recent G-B elections, the law and order situation in AJK, and other matters of national importance." President Zardari emphasized the importance of prioritizing public welfare, provincial rights, and economic stability in the forthcoming federal budget. He directed that efforts be made to align growth rates with public welfare schemes.
Briefing on Iran Visit
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefed the president on his recent visit to Iran and the latest regional diplomatic engagements.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and the Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah. Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, AJK Prime Minister Raja Faisal Rathore, and other political leaders were also present.
Background of AJK Unrest
The meeting followed deadly clashes in AJK's Rawalakot, where the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had been holding a sit-in outside the Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot. AJK police alleged that armed JAAC members opened fire on law enforcement in a planned attack, resulting in four police deaths and around 20 injuries. JAAC disputed this account, claiming security forces used tear gas and fired shells toward the hospital.
According to AJK police, three JAAC-linked individuals and four law enforcement personnel were killed during the protests on Sunday. JAAC stated on X that seven individuals were killed and dozens injured when street firing occurred after electricity was allegedly cut off.
Election Context
The clash came as the AJK government and JAAC faced off over the announcement of election dates for July 27. AJK's 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees—people who fled Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1947 and 1965. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people), a arrangement many consider unfair.
The region experienced one of its most turbulent periods in October last year when JAAC-led protests erupted over demands for constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed during the unrest. The JAAC presented a charter of demands, including ending privileges for the ruling elite, abolishing 12 refugee seats, and scrapping the quota system.
Previous Accord
Two days after the violence, the government and JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 core and 13 additional points. Both sides agreed to form a high-level committee to examine the refugee seat issue in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
The unrest also triggered political upheaval. The PPP moved a no-confidence resolution against then Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, with PML-N joining the effort. Haq, elected in April 2023 with 48 votes, chose to face the vote. On Nov 17, Rathore secured 36 votes and became the 16th AJK prime minister.
All Parties Conference
With elections approaching and the refugee seat issue unresolved, the AJK government convened an All Parties Conference (APC) in Muzaffarabad. Almost every major party attended except PTI and JAAC, who boycotted. JAAC argued that the government had rejected its written proposals submitted on May 30, making attendance futile. It proposed either keeping symbolic refugee representation until the Kashmir dispute is resolved, or replacing the 12 assembly seats with 4 seats in the AJK Council, chaired by the Prime Minister.
The APC rejected changes outside the constitutional framework, stating only the elected assembly could alter refugee seat arrangements. JAAC called the resolution "a page and a half of utterly trivial lines" and accused participants of serving their own interests.
JAAC called a major protest for June 9 in Muzaffarabad, with caravans converging from across the region. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Sunday rejected claims that the agreement with JAAC remained unimplemented, saying the government had fulfilled most commitments in AJK.
