AJK PM Rathore urges dialogue to resolve AJK crisis, calls for end to ‘base camp’ mindset

Muzaffarabad: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore addressed journalists on Saturday, warning that the biggest challenge for the incoming government would be addressing the crisis caused by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) movement. He emphasized that dialogue was the only path to resolution and expressed hope that the new government would successfully navigate the situation.

Rathore also highlighted the PML-N's major responsibility in resolving the JAAC's demands, particularly concerning ownership and representation. He revealed that he had pledged to abolish four refugee seats for the JAAC but that its leaders refused to accept his advice, leaving the possibility of abolishing up to eight seats. The prime minister endorsed PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's proposal for a truth and reconciliation commission to address the crisis.

AJK declared the JAAC a proscribed organization on June 5, placing it under the First Schedule of the anti-terrorism act and launching a crackdown against the group. The prime minister also criticized the PML-N's haste in rushing into regional elections, arguing that peace should come first before holding elections. He claimed that the PPP had not been provided a level playing field during the elections and alleged that various tactics were used to ensure the PML-N's victory.

In his constituency, LA-17, Rathore defended the recent elections, claiming that Haveli was the only area without rigging and rejecting allegations of government interference. He regretted the undue focus on Haveli's peaceful elections and recalled previous tense elections in 2011, 2016, and 2021. Responding to allegations of rigging by his PML-N rival, Engineer Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz, Rathore stated that the PPP would respond to the accusations at any platform.

He emphasized that the region's outdated governance system should be overhauled and urged people to move beyond the traditional notion of Azad Kashmir being the "base camp" of the Kashmir freedom movement. He called for development, particularly in tourism and agriculture, to transform AJK into a true base camp. The PML-N secured 25 seats in direct elections to 38 constituencies, while the PPP won 12, with the Awami Dast-o-Bazu party joining the PML-N alliance.