MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) regional president Barrister Sultan Mahmood took oath as president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Wednesday, replacingformer diplomat Sardar Masood Khan after the expiry of his stipulated constitutional five-year term.

Mr Mahmood, who had returned in July 25 electionsfrom LA-III, Mirpur-3, was elected as the territory’s next constitutional head by 34 members of the AJK Legislative Assembly, 32 from the PTI and two from the allies, on Aug 17.

The oath was administered to him by AJK Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram.

In a departure from past traditions, the oath-taking ceremony was held on a big playground in the middle of almost all important government offices in Chattar neighbourhood, instead of the presidency or any other official building, due to a huge number of participants from across Azad Kashmir.

Many of the participants hadalso travelled from Britain and other European countries,where Mr Mahmood has a vast following among the Kashmiri diaspora.

He is fourth Kashmiri politician to have been elected against both offices of AJK president, PM after 1985

Prominent among the attendees were AJK Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, outgoing president Khan and parliamentary Kashmir committee chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi. However, Legislative Assembly speaker Chaudhry Anwarul Haq and senior minister (currently the only cabinet member) Sardar Tanvir Ilyas were conspicuous by their absence.

Inside the swearing-in venue, Mr Mahmood was brought by a large group of charged PTI workers who kept chanting slogans in his favour throughout the ceremony.

After the introduction of the parliamentary form of government in AJK, Mr Mahmood is the 10th elected ceremonial head.

He is the first president belonging to the AJK’s influential Jat tribe that has a large presence in the southern Mirpur division.

Interestingly, he is the fourth Kashmiri politician after Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, Sardar Sikandar Hayat and Sardar Yaqoob Khan to have been elected against both the offices of AJK president and premier after 1985.

In his address on the occasion, Mr Mahmood vowed to continue his efforts, as his foremost priority, to highlight the Kashmir issue in its true perspective and expose India’s fascism.

While recalling that he had previously organised events on Kashmir almost all over the world, including formation of Kashmir committees in the parliaments of different countries, he assured the people of occupied Kashmir that he would struggle for their freedom with much more vigour and enthusiasm.

He said his predecessor Sardar Masood Khan had also assured him of his guidance on the basis of his vast experience on Kashmir issue at the international level.

Referring to the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A of India’s Constitution as an illegal and immoral act in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, Mr Mahmood said: “Not only India usurped the basic rights of the Kashmiri people but it also turned the entire occupied territory into a big prison by laying a military siege that continues to this day.”

Condemning the reign of terror in occupied Kashmir, he maintained that history was testament to the fact that freedom movements could not be quelled through such tactics.

India should learn lessons from Afghanistan where two superpowers had been defeated in succession by the indomitable people, he said.

He assured the AJK people that he would do justice with the office of president in keeping with his practice as [former] prime minister and leader of the opposition.

He said he would press the government to hold local bodies polls within six months so as to transfer power at the grassroots level to the young generation, adding that he would also try to get the right to vote for the overseas Kashmiris who had always played a vibrant role in projecting the cause of struggling Kashmiris.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2021