Bilawal pitches truth and reconciliation commissions for AJK

Calls current situation 'national tragedy' Warns against maligning armed forces Appeals to protesters to pause

MUZAFFARABAD:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday described the current situation in AJK as "a national tragedy" and proposed the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to help resolve the ongoing political crisis in the region.

"I propose the establishment of an independent commission of all the parties concerned. The commission should be given a sufficiently broad mandate to examine the present situation, establish the relevant facts, consider the grievances and positions of all sides, review the outstanding political, legal, and administrative issues, and recommend a fair and durable way forward," said Bilawal while addressing PPP office-bearers and election candidates in Muzaffarabad.

He warned against the current status quo in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and said it would damage both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan's international reputation, urging all stakeholders to pursue a political solution to the crisis.

"The situation in Azad Kashmir over the past month has been deeply worrying. Every Kashmiri is worried, and every Pakistani is worried," he said. "The longer this continues, the greater the damage to the Kashmir cause and to Pakistan's reputation."

Bilawal said every death reported was "a national tragedy" and extended his condolences to the families of those killed.

He stressed that "every allegation should be investigated diligently, impartially and according to due process", warning that "continued confrontation can only result in further loss and inflammatory accusations."

Calling for restraint, Bilawal said: "I appeal to the protesters to pause further protests, sit-ins, and long marches if this proposal is acceptable to the Government of Pakistan, the AJK government, and the protesters."

He said he had discussed the proposal with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who had assured him he would raise it with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Bilawal added that politics should be conducted responsibly so that no enemy of Pakistan could exploit the country's internal issues.

He also reiterated his support for dialogue, saying the state had a legitimate position that it could not be blackmailed into surrendering, but the grievances raised by protesters also needed to be addressed. "We still want a middle ground. We want a peaceful, political solution to all outstanding issues," he said.

Referring to criticism of Pakistan's military, Bilawal said: "If anyone speaks against Pakistan, the army or our armed forces, whether from Kashmir or elsewhere in Pakistan, we cannot tolerate it." "Our armed forces are our red line."

Turning to broader constitutional questions, Bilawal proposed convening an AJK constitutional convention after the elections to consider governance reforms.

"The people of Kashmir should decide whether further constitutional, political, administrative, and economic reforms are needed," he said. "The decision about Kashmir must be made by Kashmiris, not by Islamabad or any other city."

Addressing the contentious issue of the 12 reserved seats for Kashmiri refugees in the AJK Legislative Assembly, Bilawal said: "No constitutional amendment can be imposed through guns or sit-ins."

"If the issue is the 12 reserved seats, then let the people decide. If they want to keep them, keep them; if they want reforms, discuss reforms. But the representation of refugees must be protected," he added.

He also proposed granting AJK greater representation in Pakistan's national institutions through observer status in bodies such as the National Finance Commission, the Council of Common Interests, Parliament and the Senate, saying it would allow Kashmir's concerns to be raised before disputes escalated.

Despite the current situation ahead of the July 27 AJK elections, Bilawal said the PPP would continue its campaign. "I am here, and I am not going anywhere," he said. "Whether this issue is resolved or not, I will stand with the people of Kashmir, with our party workers, and we will contest this election."

Bilawal also outlined the PPP's broader vision for AJK, saying the party's struggle had always centred on securing "property rights", "the right to employment" and greater rights for the people of Kashmir.

Referring to reforms introduced by the PPP government in Gilgit-Baltistan, he said the party had transferred land ownership to local residents and pledged to pursue similar efforts wherever people had been denied ownership rights.

"If the new generation is to receive new rights, then we will have to continue that struggle together," he said, adding that the PPP remained committed to expanding the political, economic and administrative rights of the people of AJK.

Contrasting the PPP with its political rivals, Bilawal said other parties "take away rights and jobs", while the PPP was "the only party that gives rights and creates employment".

He also reiterated that the future of Kashmir must be determined by its people. "Some people believe Kashmir's future lies elsewhere. I believe Kashmir's future lies only in the hands of Kashmiris," he said, adding that the current crisis should be resolved "through peaceful and political means".

Turning to the July 27 elections, Bilawal said the PPP would raise election-related concerns with the federal government and welcomed assurances from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that the electoral mandate in AJK would be respected.

He said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the PML-N leadership had assured him that if the PPP won the elections, "The mandate of the people would be respected", just as the PPP believed its mandate had been respected following its victory in Gilgit-Baltistan.

"I also assure them that if they win, we will respect their mandate as well," Bilawal said, adding that respecting the public's verdict should become a democratic norm regardless of which party emerged victorious.

Later, in a post on X, JAAC said that a government delegation, led by former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, arrived in Rawalakot today and held another round of talks with representatives of the committee.

"According to sources, during the talks, the committee gave the government delegation time until this afternoon for further consultation on its demands, after which the delegation departed back to Muzaffarabad," it said.

It further added that according to reports, the PPP chairman was staying in Muzaffarabad to oversee the negotiation process, while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was also playing a role in contacts and reconciliation efforts between the parties.

"Sources say that positive signals are also being received from relevant state institutions for a peaceful resolution of the matter, and all parties are making serious efforts to make the negotiations successful," said the statement.

JAAC said that as per sources, if the talks succeeded, important progress was expected to emerge today, along with an announcement from the committee to end the ongoing sit-in.

The statement further added that the core members of the JAAC were currently engaged in an important consultative meeting, adding that "shortly after the meeting concludes, the core members will be present among the people. Further progress will be communicated in a timely manner."

Bilawal met DPM Dar on Tuesday to discuss matters relating to AJK, following an earlier meeting between the two last week.