Alliance politics intensifies ahead of AJK elections

Muslim Conference, Muttahida Ulema Council join hands

ISLAMABAD:

The All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) and the Muttahida Ulema Council Azad Kashmir on Saturday formally announced an electoral alliance for the upcoming elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

The announcement was made during a joint press conference at the National Press Club, addressed by AJKMC President and former AJK prime minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan and Muttahida Ulema Council chief Mufti Muhammad Waseem Raza.

Addressing the news conference, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan said political activities in Azad Kashmir had intensified ahead of the elections and that the Muslim Conference was striving to contest the polls with better preparation and broader unity.

He said the Muslim Conference, despite facing political challenges in recent years, remained a 94-year-old ideological political party with deep roots in the Kashmir freedom movement, Pakistan's ideology and issues relating to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (PBUH).

Sardar Attique said the party had held consultations with various political and religious groups and eventually reached an understanding with the Muttahida Ulema Council to jointly field candidates in all constituencies of Azad Kashmir.

He said the purpose of the alliance was to protect the ideological identity of the state, support the Kashmir freedom movement, and safeguard the rights of the people. He stressed that Azad Kashmir needed leadership that could effectively represent the Kashmir issue and the aspirations of the people.

He thanked Chairman of the Muttahida Ulema Council AJK Mufti Muhammad Waseem Raza and other religious scholars for their cooperation and support.

Sardar Attique said Pakistan's global stature had improved significantly under the leadership of Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, adding that global leaders, including former US President Donald Trump, had acknowledged Pakistan's leadership.

Speaking on the occasion, Mufti Muhammad Waseem Raza said religious scholars and spiritual leaders had played a historic role in the Pakistan Movement and continued to uphold the ideological foundations of Pakistan and Kashmir.

Mufti Waseem Raza said the Muslim Conference held a distinct position in Azad Kashmir politics due to its contribution towards protecting Islamic identity and religious values in the region.