ISLAMABAD:
The Foreign Office 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 on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (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”.
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”.
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.
