Survey strongly suggests abolition of 12 Pakistan-based J&K Refugees seats in AJK Legislative Assembly

English , Kashmir - آزاد جموں کشمیر , Snippets , / Friday, May 30th, 2025

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Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK(: May 30: In the 53-seat unicameral AJK legislature the baggage of 12 seats for J&K refugees settled in the provinces of Pakistan is a useless burden both politically and administratively.

This was the conclusion of a wide ranging tele-survey conducted by this Jammu Kashmir state Correspondent during this running week in the J&K refugees settled towns and villages in all four provinces of the country.

Among total 53 seats 12 seats are specified for the refugees of Jammu and Kashmir settled in various provinces of Pakistan. Representatives elected against these seats in AJK Assembly are chosen purely either on biraderi/clannish basis or are a discreetly sponsored lot meaning that they do not genuinely represent the J&K refugees population in the provinces.

In some cases the representatives reaching the AJK Assembly House by the force of money or on tribal push and strength. This has broken the faith of the refugees in the entire election process.

Strong demand has emerged that these 12 seats of J&K refugees in AJK Assembly should be eliminated from the electoral rolls and only three symbolic seats representing Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh provinces of the J&K state should be made electorally functional.

In the survey interesting facts came to light that so-called refugees elected representatives do not have political or administrative powers or clout to deal with the provincial authorities in the provinces. It is openly alleged that the cash funds given to each of the 12 members for uplift of the refugee families in the provinces are just squandered away with no record. These members have no economic role for J&K refugees in the provinces of Pakistan.

The survey strongly favors abolition of these 12 seats from the electoral process restricting it to only three symbolic seats for three regions of Jammu and Kashmir state namely Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh now in Indian Illegal occupation. Necessary amendments in the currently enforced AJK Interim Constitution Act of 1974 can also be made, the survey further suggests.