3 more AJK ministers quit

MUZAFFARABAD:

Three ministers in the cabinet of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq have announced their resignations, holding the PM responsible for the recent unrest in the region. Information Minister Pir Mazhar Saeed has already tendered his resignation.

The ministers—Abdul Majid Khan, Asim Sharif Bhat and Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim—alleged that Haq failed to protect the constitutional rights of the people of the AJK and over 2.5 million Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan. They also asked the PM to step down.

In his resignation letter, Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan stated that it was his solemn duty to reaffirm unwavering belief in the ideology of the AJK's accession and integration with Pakistan, "consequent upon the ultimate disposition of the J&K dispute, in accordance with the wishes of the entire population, including 2.5 million J&K refugees".

He strongly objected to the "unjust and ill-conceived demand" raised by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Action Committee (JAAC) seeking the abolition of 12 refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.

He said the campaign led by JAAC was "not only devoid of empathy but rooted in a narrative of exclusion, resentment, and opportunism."

He further maintained that the agreement between JAAC and federal government representatives was reached under pressure and without broader consensus, thereby undermining the fundamental rights of thousands of Kashmiri refugees.

Abdul Majid Khan won four consecutive elections from LA-45 Valley-VI (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and is a descendant of the Jammu and Kashmir refugee community settled across Pakistan.

Food Minister Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim said the Kashmiri refugees and their 12 assembly members "are not merely political constituents, but divided families and patriotic Pakistanis whose loyalty to the Kashmir cause and to Pakistan has remained unwavering despite decades of suffering''.

Ibrahim added that it had become "utterly impossible for the undersigned to continue serving under the present government, which has failed to effectively safeguard the constitutional rights of Kashmiri refugees, and has shown neither ownership nor seriousness in addressing this grave constitutional violation committed by those without lawful authority."

Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to defending the rights of Jammu and Kashmir refugees settled in Pakistan and vowed to continue raising their voice for their rightful place in the political and constitutional structure of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan.

The outgoing ministers, Khan and Ibrahim, said in response to a question that they had already written to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir, urging them to take cognizance of the issue.

They said the issue reflects the sentiments of over 2.5 million divided Kashmiris living across Pakistan's four provinces. These Kashmiris, they said, believe in accession to Pakistan and their political rights must be protected in AJK.

Minister for Sports Asim Sharif Bhat sent his resignation directly to Haq to avoid media attention.