MUZAFFARABAD: Opposition and treasury benches in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly on Friday vowed to resist any attempt aimed at divesting the liberated territory and its people of rights that they had gained through a landmark constitutional amendment some four years ago.

The rare consensus was demonstrated by them during a debate on an adjournment motion by PML-N leader and former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider, wherein he took strong exception to a recent letter from the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs in which nomination of three representatives from the AJK government was sought for a subcommittee constituted to “examine and finalise the proposed draft of 15th amendment”.

“The letter has disregarded facts and attempts to undermine the honour of the legislative assembly. It has not only hurt the Kashmiris who have always braved India’s machinations but also runs the risk of creating misgivings between the Kashmiris and the government of Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Haider recalled that this house had “restored the constitutional, legal, financial and administrative authority of the AJK government in accordance with the spirit of parliamentary democracy and the aspirations of Kashmiris” through the 13th amendment in June 2018.

He made it clear that as long as AJK remained in existence with the existing special status, struggle for freedom of occupied territory would continue with vigour.

Most of his views were endorsed not only by Sardar Hassan Ibrahim of Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party and Bazil Ali Naqvi of Pakistan Peoples Party from the opposition benches, but also by Minister for Education Deevan Ali Chughtai, Minister for Local Government Khawaja Farooq Ahmed and some other treasury members.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2022