MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government seems to be lurching towards a showdown with Islamabad, citing issues that it says have brought it to the end of its tether.

Existing tensions between the two governments – unusual during electioneering days – have been exacerbated by the alleged use of ‘foul language’ by Federal Minister Barjees Tahir against AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed at some recent public meetings in AJK.

These meetings were organised by PML-N AJK’s main opposition party.

AJK Minister for Rehabilitation Abdul Majid Khan told Dawn that the AJK government was facing many problems at the hands of the centre, which had left them with no choice but to stage a demonstration in the federal capital.

“We will wait for the response of the federal government until Monday (Jan 18). Failing which, our entire ruling parliamentary party, including Prime Minister Majeed, will stage a demonstration outside the parliament building in Islamabad,” he said.

“In the meantime we also hope that Mr Sharif will invite Mr Majeed for firsthand information about what’s happening with us, even though we have been drawing his attention towards it in black and white for quite some time,” he said.

Mr Khan, who is also the vice president of PPP in AJK, said that Islamabad’s commissioner and deputy commissioner had also been informed of their proposed demonstration on Tuesday.

He alleged that the AJK Council, which is headed by the Pakistani prime minister, has been doling out development funds to ‘potential’ PML-N candidates in the upcoming AJK elections, which amounted to pre-poll rigging and must be stopped.

“The council has got no mandate to create and develop parallel development activity under the AJK Interim Constitution Act 1974, Section 21(7), read with Section 31(2a) and Schedule-III,” he said.

He said the council had also stopped the release of Rs6 billion to the AJK government out of the latter’s 80pc share in income taxes collected from AJK territory.

“We are facing an acute financial crunch due to the non-realise of this amount... This kind of arm twisting also amounts to pre-poll rigging,” he said.

He also alleged that the federal planning division had imposed ‘unconstitutional and illegal restrictions’ on the launch of development projects and creation of new posts in AJK “at the instigation of the Kashmir affairs ministry”.

And finally, Mr Khan said Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir used “abusive and vulgar language” toward the AJK prime minister.

“Prime Minister Sharif should immediately remove and replace Mr Tahir, because his attitude will have a direct negative impact on the Kashmir issue, as well as the brotherly relations between Kashmiris and Pakistan,” he said.

According to Mr Khan, the council is also delaying the appointment of the AJK chief election commissioner (CEC).

He revealed that AJK President Sardar Yaqoob Khan had sent a panel of three retired judges to the council, in accordance with the recent AJK High Court decision to fill the CEC office.

“However, as yet there has been no response from the council, which smacks of negative planning at its end.”

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2016