WE all must remember that the Quaid-i-Azam had declared Kashmir the jugular vein of Pakistan. There is the 1974 Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Constitution which clearly states that 12 seats are reserved for those who migrated from areas that constitute the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

There is also the AJK Government Act, 1970, to be kept in one’s mind. The AJK assembly has 53 members; 33 directly elected from constituencies in AJK, 12 through elections by those who migrated from IOK but do not reside there, and another eight reserved seats that include five for women, and one seat each for clergy, technocrats and AJK overseas nationals.

Having said that, there is some justi-fication for the resentment some people in AJK have to the effect that the mandate given by them can be manipulated by powerful segments through the quota seats. Some modalities can be incorporated through mutual consultations.

However, the agitators must understand that any change can only come through a constitutional amendment and not by an executive order, or through street protests. Some formula should be worked out to restrict the number of seats, along with a conditional clause that not more than two members holding reserved seats can be handed a cabinet position.

It would be wiser to increase the number of seats elected from within AJK, and to decrease the rest so that the total remains 53. Besides, there can also be a due constitutional stipulation that any individual seeking to hold any of the senior positions should have been a permanent resident of AJK for at least three years.

Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026