MUZAFFARABAD: Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas on Wednesday urged political parties and leaders to recognise the gravity of the region’s deteriorating situation and take immediate steps to improve it.

“It’s not too late. Correct your direction, improve governance, and pursue political struggles within the framework of democracy. This is the essence of democracy, and it is through this that we can progress,” he said during a media talk at Kotli Press Club.

The former AJK premier, who is also the regional president of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party, reflected on key initiatives undertaken during his tenure and blamed the current governance model for the region’s instability.

“In 2023, a hybrid model was introduced here, which included a forward bloc of 23 members with no clear political affiliations,” he said, adding that lack of an effective opposition has created a vacuum, leaving people without a channel to voice their demands.

He went on to say that when there was no opposition, people needed a platform to express their concerns.

Mr Ilyas said Azad Kashmir had always been a peaceful region, but the “hybrid system” had left people with no options, leading to this crisis.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2024