ISLAMABAD: Social and political activist and former Adviser to the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Zubair Ahmed Jarral, has strongly opposed the proposal to abolish the 12 reserved seats for Jammu and Kashmir refugees in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, saying the move would deprive refugees of their identity and constitutional right to political representation.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club alongside Mirza Riaz and Chaudhry Ramzan, Jarral said the 12 reserved refugee seats must be retained, adding that the identity and representation of Kashmiris living in Pakistan cannot be taken away under any circumstances.

He argued that if the reserved seats for refugees residing in Pakistan are abolished, the same principle should also apply to Kashmiris holding dual nationality and living in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Europe who continue to vote in AJK elections.

Jarral said residents of Azad Kashmir are eligible to serve as ministers, advisers, and hold other key public offices, while Kashmiri refugees residing in Pakistan are being denied their basic political rights. He also alleged that voter lists for the refugee constituencies had been prepared on fraudulent grounds and urged the authorities to ensure transparency while protecting the constitutional rights of Kashmiri refugees.

He said millions of Kashmiris migrated to Pakistan after the 1947 partition and made immense sacrifices, adding that eliminating their political representation would amount to disregarding both history and those sacrifices.

Criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jarral said the party founded by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and led by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto once stood for sacrifice and ideology, but had now shifted towards commercial politics. He claimed that ideological workers were being sidelined while influential and opportunistic figures were being rewarded with party tickets and key positions.

He also called for the construction of memorials for martyrs in Azad Kashmir and demanded greater recognition for ideological political workers.

Challenging the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Jarral alleged that voter lists for the refugee seats were inaccurate and based on fake entries. He said the PPP leadership had failed to effectively safeguard the political rights and representation of Kashmiris despite the party’s historic stance on the Kashmir issue.

Jarral further urged the political leadership of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir to protect the reserved refugee seats and ensure the identity, constitutional rights, and political representation of Kashmiri refugees. He maintained that Kashmiris have always remained loyal to Pakistan and their patriotism should not be questioned.

He also appealed to the Chief of Army Staff, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, and other national leaders to investigate the sources of funding behind sit-ins and protest movements by certain groups in Kashmir. He stressed that the Kashmir issue should remain above political disputes and warned against decisions that could create a sense of deprivation among the Kashmiri people.