Urges British government to educate, caution those ‘supporting proscribed organisations’ to refrain from such actions
Police officers stand guard at the main entry gate of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. Photo: File
The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday rejected what it termed “irresponsible and ill-informed insinuations” made by certain members of the diaspora in the United Kingdom regarding Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) amid the unrest in the territory.
The statement follows deadly clashes in AJK’s Rawalakot, where the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had been holding a sit-in outside CMH Rawalakot hospital. AJK police allege that armed JAAC members opened fire on deployed law enforcement in a planned attack, leaving four personnel dead and around 20 injured. JAAC, however, disputes this account, claiming security forces used tear gas and fired shells toward the hospital.
The British Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir on Saturday wrote a letter to the foreign secretary signed by 31 lawmakers, that expressed concern over the matter and urged intervention. Meanwhile, overseas Pakistanis and Kashmiris have also been criticising the ongoing events.
In a strongly worded statement issued today, MoFA said these individuals of the diaspora were advised to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Pakistan and AJK, adding they “would do well to contribute positively to their country of residence.”
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Pakistan Rejects Unwarranted Remarks on Azad Jammu & Kashmir
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) June 8, 2026
The statement also noted “unwarranted remarks and queries” raised by certain British MPs, saying they reflected “a lack of awareness and disregard for the historical background of the issue”.
It added, “For those still living in colonial times, it bears reiterating that Pakistan is a sovereign and democratic republic that firmly believes in non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and expects the same from others.”
The FO said the governments of Pakistan and AJK “fully recognise and respect the constitutional rights of citizens to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, and democratic participation”.
However, it stressed that “vandalism, the destruction of public services, including hospitals, and the murder of innocent civilians and law enforcement officials cannot be permitted under any circumstances.”
It further urged the British government to “educate and caution those supporting proscribed organisations to refrain from such actions” and to respect “the democratic process, judicial decisions and the rule of law as enshrined in the Constitutions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan”.
Read: AJK Police say 3 JAAC members killed in Rawalakot clashes, several injured
According to the AJK police, three individuals linked to the JAAC and four law enforcement personnel were killed during the protests on Sunday. JAAC, however, said in a statement on X that seven individuals were killed and dozens were injured when street firing was carried out in the dark after electricity was allegedly cut off.
The clash on Sunday came as the AJK government and the JAAC witnessed a face-off, as the election date for AJK was announced for July 27.
AJK’s 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees — people who fled Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1947 and 1965 and are now scattered across Pakistan. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people) — an already lopsided arrangement that many see as unfair.
The region witnessed one of its most turbulent periods in October last year when protests led by the JAAC erupted over demands for constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed during the unrest.
The JAAC, which organised the protests and strike, had presented a wide-ranging charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, and the scrapping of the quota system.
Two days after the violence, the government and the JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 core and 13 additional points. Under the accord, both sides agreed to constitute a high-level committee to examine the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
Read More: Four police personnel martyred, over 20 injured in Rawalakot firing: AJK police
The unrest also triggered political upheaval in the region. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) subsequently moved a no-confidence resolution against then prime minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) joining the effort. Haq, who had been elected in April 2023 with 48 votes, chose to face the vote rather than resign.
On Nov 17, Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore secured 36 votes in the election and became the 16th prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
With elections now approaching and the refugee seat issue still unresolved, the AJK government convened an All Parties Conference (APC) in Muzaffarabad to build consensus. Almost every major party attended — except PTI and the JAAC, who boycotted it.
The JAAC’s position is that the government had already rejected its written proposals submitted on May 30, so attending would be futile. It had proposed either keeping symbolic refugee representation until the Kashmir dispute is permanently resolved, or replacing the 12 assembly seats with 4 seats in the AJK Council — a body chaired by the Prime Minister, which it argued would better preserve the political dimension of the Kashmir cause.
The APC rejected any changes outside the constitutional and legislative framework, saying only the elected assembly could alter refugee seat arrangements. The JAAC called the resolution “a page and a half of utterly trivial lines” and accused participants of gathering to serve their own interests rather than the public’s.
The JAAC called a major protest for June 9 in Muzaffarabad, with caravans converging from across the region.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Sunday rejected claims that the agreement with the JAAC had remained unimplemented, and said the government had fulfilled the vast majority of its commitments in AJK.
The minister warned against attempts to create unrest in AJK and questioned whether such actions served the interests of Pakistan, AJK or the broader Kashmir cause. “The solution to these issues is not violence,” he said, adding, “The solution is dialogue. We cannot allow law and order to deteriorate or innocent lives to be lost.”
