MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq on Monday said India was orchestrating plans for terrorist acts in the liberated territory, alleging that it had funneled money to create chaos amid protests for rights.

He was speaking at a press conference, in the company of over a dozen cabinet members, in what marked his first formal media interaction since his government, two weeks earlier, conceded to protests organised by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) — a coalition of civil society organisations — and withdrew a controversial ordinance on public gatherings.

Mr Haq dismissed the notion that AJK’s political system had weakened, maintaining that the decision to negotiate with protesters was solely the initiative of the political government and its prime minister. “Governments emerge stronger, not weaker, when they successfully navigate through crises,” he said.

“If you manage to peacefully send your citizens back through negotiations, avoiding bloodshed that could have played into the enemy’s hands, your parliamentary system becomes one hundred per cent stronger,” Mr Haq said, adding that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his agencies, which were funding activities in AJK, sought to equate the oppression in occupied Kashmir with the situation in Azad Kashmir.

“But here, we have an alert prime minister and an alert cabinet. Everyone understands the global challenges and the objectives behind this protest. Even the protest leadership realised that matters were slipping out of their hands. It’s easy to gather a crowd but dispersing it peacefully is a far more challenging task. Everyone played their role, and matters were resolved amicably,” the AJK prime minister said.

He vowed to prevent unrest in the region to thwart Modi’s doctrine.

Mr Haq expressed gratitude for the youth and social media users who launched campaigns defending him, saying that “it’s a positive sign that opposition arises when you clash with the status quo and fight dishonesty”.

Expressing gratitude to the central leadership of the PML-N and PPP, Mr Haq said the government would pursue its mission of public welfare with greater vigour now that the political atmosphere in AJK had cleared.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2024