AJK rulers should stop political shenanigans 
 By Dj Mathal

The Muslim Conference (MC) government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has once again started issuing statements after statements about Gilgit-Baltistan in order to give a fillip to its typical and self interest based political maneuverings. Going one step ahead, the prime minister of AJK Raja Farooq Hyder recently announced to hold a conference against the fledgling system of Gilgit-Baltistan. He said the conference will discuss various issues to establish that the new setup introduced in Gilgit-Baltistan was detrimental to the cause of Kashmiris struggle. It will demand abolition of the Gilgit-Baltistan Self-Empowerment and Order 2009 and restoration of the pre-2009 system in the region. The leaders of pro-Pakistan Hurriyet Conference, Kashmiris opposed to the new setup and pro-Kashmir leaders from Gilgit-Baltistan including secretary general Pakistan People Party (PPP) and president of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Hafiz Hafizur Rehman are among those invited to speak in the moot. Strangely enough, nationalist leaders from Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan have been completely kept out of the conference. This shows not only the intentions of the Raja Farooq led government but also a hidden agenda behind the moot against the system in Gilgit-Baltistan.

As the pro-independence Kashmiris never trust or support the ruling class of AJK who always continue the mantra of being the custodians of an independent state, so all those having intense love for the soil of Gilgit-Baltistan do not like and have serious reservations about the so-called Kashmiri leaders and rulers. If we look into our recent past, it was the same Muslim Conference which about 15 years back had challenged a decision of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. The verdict of the AJK apex court had said that Gilgit-Baltistan was an important province of AJK state and by handing over its administrative control to Pakistan a political blunder had been committed. Therefore, the administrative control should be taken back from Pakistan. However, the then government of Sardar Qayyum under pressure of secret agencies took the HC verdict to the Supreme Court of Azad Kashmir and maintained that “As the AJK government has no resources to run the administrative affairs of Gilgit-Baltistan, and as the area was also geographically difficult to manage, therefore the verdict of the high court may be annulled with a request to Pakistan to continue keeping Gilgit-Baltistan under its administrative control.” It may also be noted that the current prime minister of AJK Raja Farooq Hyder was then senior minister and strong supporter of Sardar Qayyum. Now it is unbelievable that the man who had supported Sardar Qayyum in opposing the high court verdict has changed his stance altogether. 

It is also a fact that the present system introduced in Gilgit-Baltistan by Pakistan through a package is not and will never be a substitute to independence, nor an AJK-like setup will satisfy those struggling for freedom of their region. The objectives of the planned conference on July 10 may be to gain as much political gains as possible by pressuring the government of Pakistan and the civil and military establishment before the forthcoming elections in the AJK. If the prime minister of Azad Kashmir considers that the system now working in GB is against the cause of the struggle of Kashmiris, then he should announce independence and enter into a social contract with the two million people of Gilgit-Baltsitan so that a truly independent state can emerge on the map of the world. And if he has no courage to do that, at least he should resign from the post of prime minister and join the struggle of nationalist forces in the region, so that nobody can raise a finger at his intentions. And if he is not serious for achieving an independent status for the area, he should not interfere in the affairs of Gilgit-Baltistan.

At present the situation in the region is such that freedom lovers in Pakistan administered Azad Kashmir do not accept the so called Muslim Conference, because the nationalist forces are even not allowed to carry out their democratic rights of taking part in politics in the area. In such a situation how one can believe that the prime minister of AJK is against the very system introduced in Gilgit-Baltista? The fact is that the so called democratic government of Azad Kashmir wants to bring Pakistan under the pressure of the international community to achieve its objectives. The holding of the conference is one step towards this ploy by heating up the political temperature of the region. In fact, the rulers of Azad Kahmir want to perpetuate the colonial system in the region so that its interests are well protected in future.

It may be noted here that the masses of Gilgit-Baltistan have never forget the actors of  the called Karachi agreement of April 29, 1949 including Sardar Ibrahim, Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas and the Muslim Conference which handed over Gilgit-Baltistan to Pakistan under which the masses of the region are still being denied their basic rights.

If the government of Azad Kashmir and its prime minister Raja Farooq Hyder are sincere with the two million people of Gilgit-Baltiustan, then they should announce to abolish the infamous agreement, accept Chitral, Shenaki Kohistan as parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and start a struggle to include them in the region. Besides, they should also stop open violations of the State Subject Rule in Gilgit-Baltistan and also ink an agreement with the nationalist parties to start a united movement for the rights of the region.

(www.bangesahar.com)