ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif on Friday said that the Joint Awami Action Committee’s (JAAC) demand for the abolition of refugee seats before the elections is tantamount to sabotaging the electoral process.
In a post on X, the federal minister said that with the AJK elections scheduled for July 27, any demand to abolish 12 seats of the AJK Legislative Assembly at this stage should be taken to the people through the ballot box rather than through pressure tactics.
“Democratic thinking requires that those who are making this demand should put it before the people on July 27 and let the people of God decide and form the form of representation; otherwise, it will be considered as a form of political blackmail,” he wrote.
Speaking on the issue, Khawaja Asif said that the sacrifices made by Kashmiri refugees, particularly those who migrated from Jammu during the events of 1947, stating that their political rights and representation should not be undermined.
27جولائ کو آزاد کشمیر کے الیکشن ھیں ۔ ایکشن کمیٹی ککا مطالبہ ھے کشمیر اسمبلی کی پاکستان سے منتخب ھونے والی 12 نشستیں ختم کی جائیں۔ الیکشن سے پہلے یہ مطالبہ انتخابی عمل کو سبو تاژ کرنے کے مترادف ھے۔ جمہوری سوچ کا تقاضا ھے کہ جو لوگ یہ مطالبہ کر رہے ھیں وہ اسکو 27جولائ کو عوام کے…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) June 5, 2026
“In October 1947, the refugees sacrificed more than two lakh lives and settled in Sialkot city and tehsil. Millions of honors were stolen, thousands of daughters were kidnapped. How can you deprive these refugees of their rights?” Asif questioned.
He stated that these migrants have spent decades in a state of extreme poverty and are deprived of the basic amenities of life, adding that these people have paid a very high price for freedom.
Khawaja Asif urged all stakeholders to adopt a democratic path to get their opinion recognized.
