Memorandum Peoples Reconciliation Committee for Gilgit Baltistan and Jammu Kashmir, Muhammad Sajjad Raja

Memorandum Peoples Reconciliation Committee for Gilgit Baltistan and Jammu Kashmir, Muhammad Sajjad Raja

Peoples Reconciliation Committee for Gilgit Baltistan & Jammu Kashmir organised a protest outside Pakistani High Commission in London. 

A memorandum was presented to the High Commission of Pakistan.

Memorandum

To
The Prime Minister of Pakistan

Government of Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan

Political and Constitutional Rights of the People of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan

Sir,

We, the people of divided and disputed State of Jammu and Kashmir, place before you certain issues related to the basic human, political and constitutional rights of the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir for your consideration and immediate action.

The State of Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and under the UN resolutions future of the State is yet to be decided, and you are aware that areas of the State of Jammu and Kashmir under Pakistani control, i.e. Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, are not constitutional part of Pakistan and under the UN resolutions Pakistan is only authorised to empower and facilitate the people of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan to form their own governments to run the affairs of the areas till the final settlement of the issue.

But it is very painful to note that people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan have been living under miserable socio economic conditions and without any constitutional and political rights since 1947. Basic human, political and constitutional rights of the people under Pakistani control have continuously been violated and compromised and no serious efforts have been made to empower the people.

On the one hand both the governments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are directly governed by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs lacking any decision making powers and on the other hand draconian laws like National Action Plan, Anti Terrorism Act and Schedule 4 etc. are being ruthlessly used to curb the fundamental human, political and democratic rights of the people and any voices of dissent are suppressed by the use of illegal and unauthorised state power of Pakistan.

We feel that successive Pakistani governments have not been sincere with the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and have always misused them to create troubles for India rather than supporting them to attain independence or collect any rights for themselves.

Since 1989 direct interference of Pakistani agencies into Kashmir Valley has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and a whole generation has lost the peace, prosperity and stability. Pakistani agencies have been supporting, promoting and sponsoring the militant organisations in the Valley and certain Jihadist organisations from Pakistan have been authorised to operate in Kashmir and this policy has hampered any peaceful solution of the problem and due to the very conservative theocratic approach of these Jihadist organisations the secular fabric of the State of Jammu and Kashmir has been torn apart and the State has practically been divided on the religious grounds. 

We demand that Pakistani policy on Jammu and Kashmir be changed with immediate effect and ways to settle the issue through peaceful dialogue must be explored rather than promoting any violent and armed movement as such a policy has damaged Pakistani position among the nations of the world and people of Pakistan face isolation and segregation on Kashmir issue.

We the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been suffering due to ill-designed policies of Pakistani governments, request your personal intervention and necessary and immediate action to ensure that all fundamental human, political and constitutional rights of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are restored and protected, all hostilities against the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are seceded and violence in Kashmir Valley is stopped. 

We demand that the following measures be taken immediately to ensure that the basic human, political and constitutional rights of the people of divided and disputed State of Jammu and Kashmir are protected and peace, normalcy and stability is returned to all parts of the State of Jammu and Kashmir:

Our Demands:

1/Support of Pakistani government to all militant and Jihadist outfits operating in Kashmir Valley and Azad Kashmir be withdrawn;

2/All terrorist training camps be closed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir;
3. Cross border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir be stopped with immediate effect;
4. Firing across Ceasefire Line in Azad Jammu and Kashmir be stopped;
5. Compensation be paid to all those injured and to the families of those who have been killed due to the armed activities at Ceasefire Line; 

6. A meaningful and productive dialogue be initiated with India involving the political leadership of all factions of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to broker peace and stability in Kashmir;

7. All political and military interference into the affairs of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan be stopped and both the governments of AJK and GB be empowered;
8. Act 74 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir be abolished

9. All lent officers be called back from AJK

10. Ministry of Kashmir Affairs be abolished and to replace it elected higher chambers of the parliament be constituted in both Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan;

11. All refugees seats of the legislative assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir reserved for the people living in Pakistan be abolished;

12. Electricity load shedding in Azad Jammu and Kashmir be stopped;

13. An international airport be built in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to facilitate the people of Azad Kashmir living abroad;

14. Billions of Dollars foreign aid received after 2008 earthquake be handed in to the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir;

15. Jammu Kashmir Central Bank be built in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and all foreign remittances sent to Azad Kashmir by the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir be exclusively deposited in that bank; 

16. Royalty of all dams and power generation projects in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan be given to the respective governments in Muzaffarabad and Gilgit;

17. Kashmir property in Pakistan be handed over to the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir;

 
18. Illegal and unconstitutional laws like National Action Plan, Anti Terrorism Act and Schedule 4 which are being used to suppress the Nationalists in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan be withdrawn;

19. Killers of Arif Shahid Shaheed be arrested and their trial be opened in the court of law;

20. Cases registered against Danish Liaqat, Adeem Altaf, Muneeb Baqir and others in Trarkhal Azad Jammu and Kashmir under National Action Plan be withdrawn;

21. Construction of CPEC should be linked to the consensus of all concerned parties;

22. Royalty of CPEC projects be handed over to the government of Gilgit Baltistan;
23. CPEC be constructed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir through Neelum to Bhimber;

24. 51% projects and financial benefits of CPEC be reserved for Gilgit Baltistan;
25. 51% employment quota be reserved for the people of Gilgit Baltistan in CPEC projects;
26. Compensation be paid to Gilgit Baltistan for the anticipated environmental damage of CPEC;

27. CPEC control and management be handed over to the respective local governments; 
28. Baba Jan, Iftikhar Hussain, Tahir Ali and all their colleagues who have been put behind bars only because of their political activities be released unconditionally and all cases against them be withdrawn;

29. State Subject Rules be restored in Gilgit Baltistan without any delay.

Muhammad Sajjad Raja

Spokesman
Peoples Reconciliation Committee for Gilgit Baltistan and Jammu Kashmir.

9th of October 2016, London.