Khawaja Asif says demand to scrap refugee seats threatens to sabotage Kashmir polls

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday opposed the demand to abolish 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, warning that attempts to alter the system ahead of the July 27 regional elections amount to “blackmail” and an effort to sabotage the democratic process.

His statement in a tweet comes as tensions mount in AJK over a strike call issued by a regional alliance, the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), which is demanding the elimination of the seats ahead of the general election.

“This demand before the elections is tantamount to sabotaging the electoral process,” Asif said in a statement posted on social media platform X. “Adopt the democratic path to get your opinion recognized.”

The political dispute centers on 12 reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly designated for refugees who migrated from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and currently reside across various provinces in Pakistan. The JKJAAC has called for a major protest and shutter-down strike on June 9 to press for their abolition.

Asif, whose hometown constituency of Sialkot hosts a large population of Jammu refugees who arrived during the 1947 partition of the subcontinent, fiercely defended their political representation.

“In October 1947, the refugees settled in Sialkot city and tehsil after sacrificing more than two hundred thousand lives,” Asif said, noting that the families had spent decades in extreme poverty. “How can you deprive these refugees of their rights? These people have paid a very high price for freedom.”

REGIONAL SHUTDOWN THREAT

The escalating friction has threatened a complete shutdown in AJK, prompting the AJK government to seek emergency interventions from both the judiciary and federal law enforcement.

On Friday, the Election Commission of AJK officially issued the schedule for the general election, confirming polling for July 27.

To maintain order ahead of the June 9 strike, Islamabad police have approved the deployment of 1,505 personnel equipped with anti-riot gear to AJK.

The security contingent, led by a Deputy Inspector General, includes specialized units from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Safe City operations. A reserve force has also been placed on high alert.

SUPREME COURT INTERVENTION

In a bid to defuse the constitutional crisis, the AJK government has also approached the region’s apex court under Article 46-A of the AJK Interim Constitution, which allows the state to seek an advisory opinion on matters of public importance.

A two-member bench of the AJK Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram, accepted the reference on the constitutional status of the 12 refugee seats.

The court has issued notices to the state government, political opposition parties, bar councils, and the general public, scheduling an expedited hearing.

While regional activists argue the seats distort local representation, mainstream Pakistani political figures like Asif maintain that the constituencies are vital to honoring the historical sacrifices and rights of the displaced population spread across Pakistan.