Bilawal seeks political solution to AJK unrest

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday announced that he will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to resolve the ongoing political unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) through parliamentary dialogue rather than using force and executive action. Bilawal made the announcement after chairing a consultative meeting of the PPP’s AJK parliamentary party in Islamabad. The meeting was also attended by PPP Women’s Wing Central President Faryal Talpur, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore and other party leaders. “Political matters must only be resolved through dialogue,” Bilawal told the meeting, adding that he will convey to the prime minister that any resolution to the region’s grievances must be worked out on the floor of the elected legislative assembly. The emergency meeting was called to assess the rapidly evolving security situation across Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Over the past 48 hours, regional law enforcement launched a major crackdown on the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), sealing its main office in Muzaffarabad and arresting over 40 activists ahead of a planned strike on June 9. Expressing concern over the escalating unrest in AJK, Bilawal reminded the parliamentary bloc of the party’s historical ties to the region. “The very foundation of the PPP was laid on the Kashmir issue,” he said. “The PPP has always prioritised the resolution of the problems faced by the Kashmiri people.” During the session, AJK parliamentary members presented a series of policy recommendations and administrative proposals to Bilawal and Talpur aimed at defusing public anger. The regional tensions are largely driven by public backlash over the allocation of 12 legislative seats for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan, as well as rising inflation. The post Bilawal seeks political solution to AJK unrest appeared first on HUM News English.