Mirpur(AJK), (Parliament Times) : President Azad Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry while rejecting J&K Delimitation Commission’s report regarding the redrawing of electoral map of the occupied Kashmir has described the commission’s move as a vicious attempt to further disenfranchise and disempower the region’s Muslim majority population.
The AJK president made these remarks while talking to senior journalists at an Eid-Millan-Party held at Mirpur and later in Islamabad on Friday. While condemning the move, Barrister Chaudhary said that redrawing of electoral constituencies in the occupied Kashmir was in violation of principles of justice and international requirements.
The delimitation commission, he pointed out, had reprehensively ignored the geographical and demographic realities of the region. “The Commission has proposed more seats to Jammu than Kashmir valley that happens to be larger in size in terms of population”, the president said adding that the delimitation of constituencies speak volumes about the BJP government’s anti-Kashmir and anti-Muslim policies.
Terming it a disastrous recipe to render the majority population powerless, the AJK president said, “Kashmiris strongly condemn this wicked attempt aimed at minimizing the role of Muslims in the decision making process and granting political mileage to the ruling party-the BJP”.
The BJP’s motive behind this move, he said, was to install a Hindu chief minister in the state so that it could legalize the actions it had taken on Kashmir since 5th August 2019.
Referring to his commitment to the Kashmir cause, the president said, “Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir has always been my top priority”. The AJK president said that since he took oath of office a number of initiatives were taken both at national as well as international level to divert world attention towards the simmering situation in Indian occupied Kashmir.
Highlighting the role of Pakistan, Barrister Chaudhary said that a strong and stable Pakistan was guarantor of Kashmir’s freedom.
Underlining the government’s future course of action, he said that the PTI government would abide by its manifesto. “I am fully aware of the problems of Mirpur. I will fulfill my election promises”, he said adding that jobs to the educated youth would be given on merit.
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