MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Pakistan chapter of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) — a conglomerate of pro-freedom organisations seeking an end to India’s occupation of Jammu and Kashmir — has reaffirmed its longstanding policy of staying away from electoral politics, making it clear that it would neither transform itself into a political party nor support or oppose any political or religious group in elections.

The decision was taken at an extraordinary high-level meeting held at the organisation’s office on Monday under the chairmanship of its convener, Ghulam Mohammad Safi, and attended by representatives of all affiliated units.

According to a statement issued by spokesperson Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, participants held detailed deliberations on the prevailing political situation, the sensitive nature of the Kashmir issue and the future course of action before reaching unanimous and “principled” decisions.

The forum reiterated in “clear and unequivocal terms” that the APHC would maintain its previous policy regarding the electoral process in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. It stressed that the Kashmir issue was a national, ideological and internationally-recognised dispute pertaining to the right to self-determination, which should not be subjected to “temporary political interests or electoral considerations”.

Participants stressed the need to unite political and religious leadership, as well as the general public in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, around the Kashmir cause, describing the conglomerate’s neutral and balanced role as vital for maintaining its credibility and effectiveness as a collective voice.

The meeting also underlined that the APHC, as the custodian of the legacy of Kashmiri martyrs, bore the responsibility of pursuing their unfinished mission of securing the right to self-determination. It resolved to make its struggle more organised, effective and multidimensional, while continuing to adhere to peaceful means in accordance with international law and diplomatic norms.

It was further agreed that APHC delegations would establish contacts with major political and religious parties in Pakistan and AJK to persuade them to incorporate key aspects of the Kashmir dispute into their election manifestos, so that the issue could be highlighted at political and public levels.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2026