MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 10: Meetings upon meetings, it seems that Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is the place to watch as major political developments are expected in the coming days.

The latest buzz echoing out of the valley is that political parties are putting their heads together to formulate constitutional reforms.

It can all be traced back to a meeting organised by Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, labelled ‘All Parties of Azad Kashmir’ conference, at his residence in the federal capital on August 30.

At the meeting amending the interim constitution was agreed upon, commonly referred to — colloquially as well in the written format — as Act 1974.

After the meeting, it was announced that the political parties would give their recommendations to the parliamentary committee for constitutional reforms, which had already been constituted, and the committee would formulate its own recommendations within two months and present the same to a second round of ‘all parties conference’ for consideration. The recommendations would then be taken to the Legislative Assembly for approval.

All fast forwarded to the present. On Tuesday a meeting of the main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and two other political parties and some civil society organisations put forward their recommendations to the parliamentary committee for constitutional reforms, which met in the Legislative Assembly building with Minister for Education (Colleges) Matloob Inqilabi in chair.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Syed Azhar Hussain Gilani, AJK Council member Chaudhry Mehboob Ahmed of PPAJK, Leader of the Opposition Raja Farooq Haider, MLA from PML-N Barrister Iftikhar Ali Gilani, and Sardar Siab Khalid and Malik Muhammad Nawaz of Muslim Conference (MC).

Minister for Education (Schools) Mian Abdul Waheed (PPAJK) and Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, MLA of PML-N, were unable to attend due to some domestic engagements.

Official sources privy to the committee’s proceedings told Dawn that PML-N, Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jammu Kashmir People’s Party (JKPP) — a splinter group — had submitted their proposals in black and white but the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPAJK) and MC had not done so, as yet. Jamaat-i-Islami (JIAJK) submitted their recommendations on Wednesday.

Although people not familiar with AJK politics must keep in mind that JKPP and JIAJK do not have any representation in the assembly.

Sources said that MC’s representatives on Tuesday had sought a day’s respite to submit proposals of their party in written format but hadn’t done so till Wednesday.

PPAJK’s Mr Inqilabi had maintained that his party would agree to the consensus proposals, which would be forwarded to the next ‘all parties conference’ for consideration.

Sources said during Tuesday’s meeting, a three-member sub-committee, comprising the law minister, Barrister Iftikhar Gilani and Siab Khalid, was formed to examine all available proposals and draw conclusions.

The sub-committee’s report would be taken up by the main committee in its meeting scheduled to be held here on Thursday, sources said.

Meanwhile, in a brief statement, Mr Inqilabi said the federal government would soon be taken into confidence on the issue of constitutional reforms in AJK.