Govt, 'protesters' must agree to formation of a truth commission to resolve unrest in AJK, demands Bilawal

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday demanded that the government and the “protesters” agree to the formation of a truth and reconciliation commission to resolve ongoing tensions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The PPP has repeatedly called for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission amid protests in AJK.

Over the past month, the regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly, which has resulted in protests across the region.

Addressing an event in Muzaffarabad, the PPP chairman said, “It is necessary that during these historic elections, we restore peace and maintain fairness and transparency. To honour the future of Kashmir and Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, this is not about anyone’s victory or defeat. The state and the protestors will have to accept this recommendation from the PPP.”

Bilawal said he had been campaigning for the formation of the commission for the past month.

“All the state had to do was form a truth and reconciliation commission and task it with discerning the truth, and the protestors would have been asked to halt their protests until the commission presented its findings,” he said. However, he recalled that neither party had been willing to “back down”.

“What will then become of my innocent Kashmiris, who have no connection to either the protestors or the government?” he added.

Bilawal maintained that the unrest could have been resolved “peacefully and without endangering anyone”, and went on to accuse the state of prioritising “PML-N’s interests over that of Kashmir”.

“I understand their pain, whether they are right or wrong [..] I feel for their mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers,” he said, urging that the protestors cannot be punished on the street.

“If you want to take action, investigate and form a commission, which will then tell you who is the murderer and who is whose agent; this issue cannot be resolved on the street.”

More to follow. ...