Powers enjoyed by Azad Kashmir govt will be protected at every level, vow political parties of Azad Kashmir during APC


ISLAMABAD, August 07 (SABAH): It has been resolved during the All Parties Conference (APC) of the political parties of Azad Kashmir that the powers enjoyed by the Azad Kashmir government will be protected at every level. The APC resolved that the decrease or changes in constitutional, legal, administrative and financial powers conferred under 13th amendment are unacceptable. While expressing serious reservations regarding the proposed changes in the 15th Amendment of Provisional Constitution of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the political leadership termed that the 13th Amendment carried out in 2018 with the consultation of Pakistan is expression of the aspirations of the people of Azad Kashmir.

The declaration of the All Parties Conference (APC) held in Islamabad on the fears of the change of status of state of Azad Kashmir under proposed 15th constitutional amendment, has been issued.

It has been stated in the declaration that all the concerned people should refrain from any effort of decreasing the powers as decrease in powers is tantamount to showing no confidence on the government of State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, people of Azad Kashmir and politicians and all these efforts will result in creation of severe kind of unrest in the Kashmiri masses. The meeting of the political parties of Azad Kashmir has termed any such effort as hatching conspiracy against historic ties of Pakistan and State of Jammu and Kashmir.

It has been demanded from the Azad Kashmir government in the declaration that while using the powers conferred under 13th Amendment, financial and administrative assets should immediately be taken back from Kashmir Council. The declaration said that steps should be taken for handing over of the use of Azad Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir property State property by the Azad Kashmir government.

The APC of political parties of the Azad Kashmir demanded of the Azad Kashmir government to immediately release the arrested protesters in Poonch and has also stressed upon the protesters to not take the law in their own hands and government buildings should be protected.

The APC was held at the local hotel of Islamabad. The APC was organized by central vice president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former prime minister AJK Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan in personal capacity. The APC discussed 15th proposed constitutional amendment, tourism authority bill in Azad Kashmir and several other important issues.

Prime Minister AJK Sardar Tanveer Illyas Khan also attended the APC. The APC was also attended by President PML-N Azad Kashmir Shah Ghulam Qadir, President Pakistan People’s Party Azad Kashmir Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, Leader of the Opposition in AJK Legislative Assembly Chaudhry Latif Akbar, former president and PM AJK Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, former president AJK Raja Zulqarnain Khan, former PM AJK Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi, President Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party Sardar Hassan Ibrahim Khan, Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Azad Kashmir Dr. Khalid Mahmood Khan, PML-N Azad Kashmir Secretary General Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, President Muslim Conference Shafique Jarral, Emir Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Azad Kashmir Maulana Imtiaz Siddiqui, Convener All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mahmood Ahmed Saghar, APCH (Azad Kashmir chapter) leader Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Vice Chairman Bar Council Sardar Tariq Masood Advocate, President Supreme Court Bar Azad Kashmir Raja Tariq Bashir Advocate, President High Court Bar Azad Kashmir Harooq Riaz Mughal Advocate, members of the AJK Legislative Assembly belonging to PML-N Colonel (retd) Waqar Ahmed Noor, Sardar Amir Altaf, Hafiz Ahmed Raza Qadri, Mohtarma Nasaran Abbasi and President Jammu and Kashmir Liberation League Khawaja Manzoor Qadir Dar.