ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Government of Pakistan has constituted a nine-member high-level committee to deliberate on the issue of refugee seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly.
According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and SAFRON, the committee has been formed in pursuance of the agreement signed between the representatives of the federal government, AJK government, and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
As per the agreement made on October 4, which ended the JAAC protest, a high-powered committee comprising legal and constitutional experts will deliberate on the issue of members of the AJK Assembly other than AJK constituencies.
As per the notification, Khashih-ur-Rehman, Additional Secretary, Legal Advisor, and Consultant of Pakistan’s Ministry of Law and Justice, has been nominated as a member of the committee.
Moreover, the federal government also nominated Hassan Mahmood, Legislative Advisor, Ministry of Law and Justice, and Taimoor Zareen Khan, Consultant Research, Ministry of Law and Justice, to the committee.
From the AJK government, Law Minister Mian Abdul Waheed, senior PML-N leader and lawyer Sardar Tahir Anwar, and lawyer Raja Ejaz Ahmed are nominated as committee members.
In addition to that, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has nominated Raja Amjad Ali Khan Advocate, Sardar Arbab Advocate, and Saad Ansari Advocate.
Sources said that Amjad Ali Khan has no political affiliation at present, while the other two members are also officials of two groups of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front.
“Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, and SAFRON will provide Secretarial support to the Committee,” the notification stated.
It further added that “the committee shall hold meetings as frequently as it deems fit and may submit its recommendations before the Monitoring and Implementation Committee of the above-mentioned agreement.”
