MUZAFFARABAD: Investigation has progressed in the AJK Speaker shooting case as senior police officers of Azad Jammu and Kashmir meet in several meeting rounds to make sure that those responsible for opening fire on the AJK Speaker Convoy were held accountable.
Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq issued a statement denouncing the attack and ordering the chief secretary and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to act swiftly and decisively against those responsible for the assault.
The speaker of AJK, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, was in his constituency, Kakliyot village, on 27th January 2025 when the shooting occurred. The village is about 15 km south of Muzaffarabad.
Chaudhry Latif Akbar is the speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly. The speaker had travelled to a ceremony where a number of well-known Muslim Conference (MC) activists were expected to make announcements about their new party memberships. Akbar was on his way to Kikliot to witness the induction of members of a rival political group into the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
AJK Speaker shooting
Attackers opened fire indiscriminately, injuring three PPP employees who were in the convoy. The names of the victims were Adil Imtiaz, who had an arm injury; Muhammad Riaz, who was hit in the shoulder; and Mubashir Hussain, who was shot in the head.
The incident has been condemned by the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif.
Following the incident, SSP Muzaffarabad Riaz Haider Bukhari paid Speaker Akbar a visit in his chamber on Monday where he assured him of swift action.
“This is not about me as an individual; it is about the sanctity of the third most important constitutional office of the state. If the speaker’s life is not secure, it sends a chilling message of insecurity to the common people,” the speaker said to the SSP.
SSP Bukhari later attended a high-level discussion on the investigation’s status at the Central Police Office. The meeting was presided over by IGP Rana Abdul Jabbar. “Regardless of any political consideration, I have instructed the DIG and the SSP to arrest the accused and ensure merit,” Mr Jabbar said, reports Dawn.
On Monday, hundreds of PPP employees and supporters came to show solidarity, turning the speaker’s office into a public gathering place.
When talking to them, Mr Akbar reaffirmed that his life was no more valuable than that of a regular person. “Without ever sacrificing his morals, our leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto accepted the gallows in order to protect the people’s lives and property. In the same vein” he remarked, “Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto knew she would be martyred, but she never wavered in her dedication to democracy and the people.”
In the wake of the event, he praised PPP employees and supporters for upholding the peace and following his instructions. He also stated “Today, I stand with my head held high. My 40 years of struggle have borne fruit, and awareness has triumphed over ignorance.”
He showed gratitude to the leadership of Pakistan and Kashmir and said that he was deeply touched and humbled by the outpouring of prayers and solidarity. President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz Sharif, the Speaker of the National Assembly, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and several other key figures of his party, along with President Barrister Sultan Mahmood, Prime Minister Haq, regional presidents, and other PPP, PML-N, and PTI leaders.
“Their unequivocal condemnation of this attack and their concern for my well-being has strengthened my resolve to continue serving the people with unwavering dedication,” he stated.
In the meantime, the attack on the AJK Speaker’s convoy has caused serious alarm among the Forum of the Speakers. The forum is made up of the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chairman of the Senate, and the speakers of the provincial and Gilgit-Baltistan assemblies.
The forum called the act an insult to democratic institutions in a letter to the head of the AJK police department. It also cited reports of previous threats that local officials allegedly disregarded.
It demanded a thorough report within three days, a prompt investigation, and strong legal action against the offenders.
