Islamabad, June 14, 2026: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) chapter of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Sunday urged the region’s Election Commission to immediately withdraw the election schedule for 12 refugee seats, calling for urgent dialogue to ease escalating political tensions in the region.
The appeal comes ahead of the July 27 elections in AJK, as protests intensify by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) over its demand to abolish 12 reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in Pakistan after 1947.
Elections for these seats are conducted separately from the 33 general assembly constituencies in AJK, with voters registered across 12 designated constituencies in mainland Pakistan casting ballots for refugee representatives.
Addressing a crowded press conference at Kashmir House after a meeting of the party’s core committee, PPP-AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin said political dialogue and consensus were essential to address the ongoing crisis and restore stability.
He said the central focus of the Pakistan Peoples Party has always remained the Kashmir cause, crediting founding leaders Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for elevating the issue at the international level.
Yasin noted that over the past seven months, the government had made significant efforts to address public grievances and strengthen democratic institutions, including the implementation of “37 out of 38” demands put forward by the JAAC under a prior agreement signed in October last year.
He added that only the constitutional matter regarding refugee seats remained unresolved, for which alternative legal and constitutional pathways were available.
Criticising the timing of the electoral schedule, Yasin said its issuance just days before the JAAC protest call on June 9 was “not appropriate,” adding that it had further heightened tensions.
He said that during negotiations, all sides had shown a constructive approach, and JAAC was requested to allow a one-week extension, which was not granted.
“Under the current circumstances, holding elections appears difficult. The Election Commission should withdraw the schedule and advance the consultative process. The PPP is not in favour of confrontation or conflict. Twelve refugee seats cannot be more valuable than human lives,” he said.
Warning against external interference, Yasin said hostile forces, including India, could exploit the deteriorating situation for political gain. He stressed that dialogue, political harmony and continuity of the democratic process remained the only viable solution.
He was accompanied by Parliamentary Leader in the AJK Legislative Assembly Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Senior Minister Mian Abdul Wahid, and several cabinet members and senior party leaders.
PPP parliamentary leader Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan also supported the call, saying the election schedule should be withdrawn immediately to allow space for reconciliation.
“Elections are not more important than human lives. PPP believes in democratic values and supports peaceful resolution of public concerns,” he said.
Senior Minister Mian Abdul Wahid said maintaining stability was the top priority, adding that AJK could not afford further unrest. He urged all stakeholders to resolve the matter through urgent dialogue.
He also emphasized that Kashmir’s connection with Pakistan remained strong and could not be undermined by external forces, despite political differences.
Earlier, senior Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also urged the AJK Election Commission to reconsider what he described as a “premature election schedule,” amid growing political tensions in the region.
