Altaf Hamid Rao;
MIRPUR (AJK): Veteran Kashmiri jurist and former President of District Bar Association Mirpur Zulfiqar Ahmed Raja has welcomed the reported principal decision of the government of Pakistan about abolition of Azad Jammu Kashmir Council and transfer of its powers to AJK government through required constitutional amendments in Act. 1974 – the interim constitution of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Talking to a group of senior journalists here on Wednesday, Raja called for immediate implementation of the decision to dissolve the AJK Council as has recently been taken by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Haqaan Abbasi and transfers of its stipulated working business to the AJK government in response to the much-cherished demand of the people of Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
The ex President of Mirpur District Bar Association underlined that the institution of AJK Council enjoys no status of the upper house of AJK Parliament as is mostly assumed..
He added that AJK Parliament is comprising only the AJK Legislative Assembly, he underlined. “Rather in present circumstances AJK Council performs as the parallel government in Azad Jammu Kashmir headed by its Chairman / Prime Minister of Pakistan – side by side the government of Azad Jammu Kashmir – since the Council performs on the advice of the Government of Pakistan”, he observed.
Recalling the history of the emergence of the institution of AJK Council, Zulfiqar Ahmed Raja said that the AJK Council was established under Act-1974 replacing Act-1970 – the Interim Constitution of AJK through introducing required amendments – since AJK was not to be made as the constitutional part of Pakistan because of being the disputed territory in the backdrop of the Kashmir issue under UN resolutions.
He observed that there would be no harm as a result of the dissolution of the AJK Council and transfer of all of its existing 52 subjects to the government of Azad Jammu Kashmir which are directly-related to the internal development, progress and prosperity of AJK through more empowerment of the AJK government – which, underlined, is considered to be the representative government of entire Jammu & Kashmir state.
Zulfiqar Raja pointed out that under the UNCIP, four of the major subjects including defense, foreign affairs and currency were required to be maintained and intact with the government of Pakistan for the safety, security and prosperity of Azad Jammu Kashmir. He further said that primarily the objective of emergence of AJK Council was to fill-in the gap – but contrary to this great spirit, the Council turned into a gulf in the presence of already existing the ministry of Kashmir affairs and the AJK government, he observed
Zulfiqar Raja said that in such circumstances, there was no justification of continuation of the AJK Council further more. “Rather it should immediately be dissolved and merged into AJK government / legislative assembly, he urged.
