ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif urged protesters to observe “loyalty to the state” and complete obedience to it for dialogue to take place, as violent protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) region this week reportedly claimed 20 lives.
Azad Kashmir, the part of the disputed Himalayan region in South Asia administered by Pakistan, has seen violent clashes this week as supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an anti-government movement demanding economic and governance reforms, pressed ahead with protests despite the group being banned under anti-terrorism laws last week.
One of the main demands of the JAAC is that 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir living in Pakistan be abolished. Violent clashes between JAAC supporters and law enforcers this week killed at least 20 in the region, AFP said quoting officials. It reported that seven were killed in Kotli, 12 in Rawalakot and one in Mirpur.
“Dialogue begins with loyalty and complete obedience to the state,” Asif wrote on social media platform X on Saturday night.
“Some misguided brothers in Azad Kashmir, who these days appear to be following a certain agenda, should read Article 5 of Pakistan’s constitution that requires unwavering loyalty to the state,” he added.
Azad Kashmir police said earlier this week that among the dead were three Rawalakot police officers and a paramilitary soldier.
Police accused JAAC supporters of attacking a military-run hospital in Rawalakot that sparked a confrontation with law enforcers. The JAAC denied the allegations and blamed law enforcers for resorting to violence.
The dispute between the JAAC comes ahead of legislative elections scheduled for July 27 in Azad Kashmir, which lies within the broader Kashmir territory claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but administered in parts by each.
The JAAC argues that the 12 reserved seats allow Pakistan’s mainstream political parties to influence government formation in AJK and has demanded their immediate abolition.
The group’s campaign suffered a setback last Sunday when the region’s Supreme Court ruled that the seats enjoy constitutional protection and cannot be abolished through executive or administrative action.
