MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The Supreme Court of Azad Kashmir has fixed the appeal filed against the High Court’s decision to abolish the Jammu and Kashmir refugee quota on October 22.
Two separate appeals have been filed in the Supreme Court of AJK challenging the High Court’s decision to abolish the quota system for Jammu and Kashmir refugees and district-based allocations in government jobs and educational admissions.
Senior legal experts Sardar Resham Khan Advocate and Mehmood Akhtar Qureshi Advocate, on behalf of Qazi Imran and Chaudhry Abdul Wahid, filed an appeal against the High Court’s decision of August 18, stating that the status of 1989 refugees and 1947 and 1965 refugees is not equal.
The 1965 and 1947 refugees have been permanently settled in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, while the 1989 refugees are still awaiting permanent settlement.
The appeals argue that the abolition violates constitutional and human rights protections and could deepen regional disparities.
In the case titled Shujaat Shabbir vs. Raja Amjad Ali Khan, renowned lawyer Sahibzada Mahmood Ahmed Advocate argued that before eliminating the quota system, a uniform education system across Azad Kashmir must be established to ensure fair competition.
He further maintained that the district merit system is based on distribution, not quota, and that only refugees and disabled persons have constitutionally reserved quotas. Therefore, he appealed for the restoration of the previous system in both government jobs and educational admissions.
Separately, advocate Chaudhry Muhammad Kaleem Latif has filed another appeal on behalf of 63 petitioners, including Muhammad Owais from Jhang, against Raja Shafiqullah Khan and 89 other officials from various government departments.
The petition contends that abolishing the quota for 1947 refugees residing in Pakistan constitutes a violation of human rights and discriminates against a historically marginalized group.
The petitioners have requested the Supreme Court to reinstate the refugee and district quotas, emphasizing that the system ensured equitable opportunities for all regions and communities.
