Since August 2019 – There is always a debate about the role played by the political leaders and their parties in Azad Jammu and Kashmir for revoking the Special status of Kashmiris in Illegally Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In August 2019, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) was the ruling party in the states of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Raja Farooq Haider khan was Prime Minister of the state then. Jamat-e-Islami was an ally of the government, while Pakistan peoples party AJK (PPP-AJK), Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf AJK (PTI-AJK), All Azad Jammu Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) were the parties in Opposition. Ch Muhammad Yasin (Leader of the Opposition at that time) was from PPP-AJK.
In Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf was in the government and Imran Khan was Prime Minister then. There were natural and expected political differences between AJK Government and the Federal government.
Raja Farooq Haider Khan blamed PTI Government for the step taken by the Modi Government in IIOJK to remove the special status of Kashmiris. PM AJK (then) Raja Farooq Haider Khan asked Imran khan and his government to let the Kashmiris fight their case on the international stage by sending a delegation that must consist of Kashmiri leadership from all parties and PM AJK (then) must be the leader of the delegation. Raja Farooq Haider Khan’s all efforts were in vain as his efforts were painted as opposition to the PTI’s government steps for Kashmir’s cause. Raja Farooq Haider khan even failed to unite leaders of different political parties in AJK for his plan against steps by the Modi government. PTI AJK leadership claimed that PM AJK (then) is using Kashmir card to sabotage the efforts by PTI government (In Pakistan) for Kashmir cause and Barrister Sultan Mehmood Ch (President PTI AJK Then)while leading a rally against fascism of Modi government talking to media in the UK said that Raja Farooq Haider Khan is proving his loyalty to Nawaz Sharif by opposing positive steps by PTI government against fascism of Modi and RSS in IIOJK.
Raja Farooq Haider Khan (PM AJK then) left all this and took a solo flight to the UK without even having their allies, Jamat-e-Islami representation in the delegation.
Opposition in AJK Assembly called this tour of PM AJK purposeless and meaningless as there wasn’t any consensus on this among political parties in the Legislative Assembly of AJK. Raja Farooq Haider Khan (PM AJK then) who was supposed to come back after 2-3 weeks, had to live in the UK nearly for 3 months as flights were banned due to COVID’19 restrictions then.
When Raja Farooq Haider Khan was back in Pakistan, a Kashmiri journalist from the UK Claimed that PM AJK (then) was on a business tour here in the UK – During this tour Raja Farooq Haider Khan stayed in the house of a famous Kashmiri origin business man who in reward asked PM AJK (then) for land on lease from AJK government for business purposes on the bank of Nelum River in the city of Muzaffarabad , the capital of AJK.
Then, in the 2021 elections in AJK, as expected Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf AJK took a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly of AJK and formulated their government. Former PM AJK Barrister sultan Mehmood Ch (President PTI AJK then) was the strongest candidate for PM AJK and Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan (SAPM to CM Punjab then) was the second expected candidate for PM AJK. Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan interviewed different MLAs from PTI AJK including Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Dr. Nisar Ansar Abdali, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi at Bani Gala for selection of PM AJK. Khawaja Farooq Ahmed being senior MLA from PTI AJK and the only Kashmiri-speaking member was the strongest candidate among those interviewed one for PM AJK.
Political pundits in AJK were shocked to hear the name of Sardar Abdul Qayyum khan Niazi for PM AJK as Federal Minister for Kashmir and GB Affairs (then) Ali Amin Gandapur reached Muzaffarabad on the day of the PM AJK Election.
Sardar Abdul Qayyum khan Niazi was elected Prime Minister of the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir – interesting thing was a vote of Barrister Sultan Mehmood Ch who accept the decision of Imran Khan and voted for Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi. Sardar Tanvir Ilyas was happy with the selection of Sardar Abdul Qayyum khan Niazi as PM AJK by Imran Khan as He was against Barrister Sultan Mehmood ch.
From Day one of Qayyum Niazi’s government, the Opposition wasn’t happy with this decision of PTI AJK as Raja Farooq Haider Khan (Former PM AJK / President PMLN AJK) and Ch Latif Akbar (President PPP AJK) openly said that selection of Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi and interviews for PM AJK by Imran Khan at Bani Gala are biggest jokes with the political history of AJK – They Further added that it shows How much non-serious is PTI government with the AJK and Kashmir Cause that they made a person PM who didn’t even have a political statue in his own party.
Prime Minister AJK (then) Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi hadn’t any support and confidence from his cabinet for running matters of AJK, then How one can think that He could contribute to the people of IIOJK?
So, politically imposed decisions on PTI top leadership pushed political Instability
In AJK and basecamp remained failed to contribute any sort of help to Kashmiris in IIOJK. Curfew is still imposed in IIOJK.
Then there came the third PM AJK – With the change in Government as PTI Government was taken over by a no-confidence motion by PDM in Pakistan, change was expected in AJK as well. Sardar Tanvir Ilyas along with 26 MLAs of PTI in AJK brought a no-confidence motion against PM AJK Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi – who was also from PTI AJK.
Sardar Tanvir Ilyas said that the no-confidence motion in AJK is a preemptive effort to nullify the expected no-confidence motion by Joint Opposition in AJK as well. While Outgoing PM AJK Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi said that the no-confidence motion is a reaction by Ali Amin Gandapur as didn’t allow him access to the financial matters of AJK and Tanvir Ilyas is used against me by former Federal minister of GB and Kashmir Affairs.
Surprisingly, on the voting day of no confidence motion, EX PM AJK Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi voted for Sardar Tanvir Ilyas as He said “ I was honored by PTI – Now it’s my turn to own decision of my party chairman”.
Opposition was stunned in AJK as Sardar Tanvir Ilyas khan who was a first-time member legislative Assembly of AJK was elected as PM AJK with 33 votes. Joint Opposition in AJK Assembly boycotted the assembly session of PM elections.
Raja Farooq Haider said that “If it’s about money and buying loyalties in Kashmir then Modi has more money – He can do the same in IIOJK. It’s unfortunate for the political workers like me who spend their lives in political struggle and then comes someone with money and becomes PM of the state”.
Member from the opposition said, “When one looks in PTI AJK with elected members like Khawaja Farooq Ahmed in the AJK assembly, the person who has experienced four decades in politics of AJK, who has family roots in IIOJK – who has links with the political leadership of Kashmiris in IIOJK – it seems like PTI AJK missed the trick that how they can help people of IIOJK against their fight against Fascist Modi and RSS”.
Post-2019, Politics in AJK is more about proving loyalties to their political parties and leaders in Pakistan – AJK is supposed to be basecamp for efforts against the Modi government, and their fascism in IIOJK is used as a ground for the fight for political parties influenced by situations of their relevant parties in Pakistan.
To conclude, one thing is similar in the last two governments in AJK – Both failed to create an Impact and consensus on a national and international level on the Human rights violations in IIOJK, brutalities by the Modi government assisted by Goons of RSS, no medical or food aid from AJK to IIOJK.
Political Parties like PPP, PMLN, and PTI need to understand that using AJK as their pad for political fights is useless and helping others’ causes – Political elite of AJK has to be united on Kashmir cause regardless of their party leaderships stance in Pakistan as Kashmir must be the top priority of every Kashmiri politician – only then we can ask or seek help from the government of Pakistan and international institutions.
