MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Minister of Forests Akmal Sargala has said that the Awami Action Committee wants to divide nation and weaken AJK internally.
He expressed these views in a Kashmir Digital programme. He castigated Awami Action Committee for their demand to abolish refugee seats in the AJK assembly.
“If anyone wants to abolish the refugee seats, he wants to weaken the Kashmir issue.”
The Minister said that 6 Valley seats and 6 Jammu seats are part of the Azad Kashmir constitution.
“We are representatives of the oppressed people of Jammu and occupied Kashmir, refugees of 1947,” he said and added the Public Action Committee’s demand to abolish refugee seats is a delusion of immature minds.
“I challenge to register them as a political party, contest elections, and come to the assembly with a majority in the 33 constituencies, then amend the Act 1974 and abolish the refugee seats.”
He said the Public Action Committee does not have a public mandate. “Your agenda is to divide Kashmiri nation. And I proudly call myself a Kashmiri while sitting in Pakistan because my ancestors belonged to the Samba district of Kashmir, and even today, my great-grandfather has land in his name there.”
“I want to state openly that the Public Action Committee wants to weaken Azad Kashmir internally and wants to see division in it.”
The minister said the way the Pakistan Army and the commander-in-chief revived the Kashmir issue worldwide is commendable. “Under the circumstances, we desperately need unity.”
AJK elections
He said elections to the AJK Assembly would he held almost one year later and challenged the Public Action Committee to participate in the elections, gain a majority, and then make amendments of their choice.
He said, “In 1947, our ancestors migrated from occupied Kashmir and settled in Narowal, a city in Pakistan. There are 12 seats for refugees in the Azad Kashmir Assembly. We represent the resident refugees of Pakistan and the people of occupied Kashmir”.
