Proposes truth commission, urges both sides to halt actions until inquiry is completed
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addresses a public rally in Dadyal, Mirpur district, on Friday. SCREENGRAB
Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday criticised both the federal government and the protesters over the recent unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, lashing out at the former for punishing AJK for the actions of the latter.
Addressing a PPP rally in Dadyal tehsil of Mirpur district, Bilawal criticised both sides over the worsening situation in AJK.
The PPP chairman said Kashmir had been facing a difficult test for the past month while the entire world watched, but it was the people of the region who were bearing the consequences.
“Everyone has the right to protest, but protesting in such a way that food supplies cannot reach Kashmir, fuel cannot reach Kashmir and medicines cannot reach Kashmir does not harm the government. It does not harm the state of Pakistan or the state of Azad Kashmir. The burden, the suffering and the hardship are being borne only by the people of Kashmir,” Bilawal said.
He added that the protesters were making the people of Kashmir pay the price for the government’s mistakes.
The PPP chairman also criticised the government’s response to the protests, saying it was punishing all Kashmiris instead of only those involved in the demonstrations.
“The protesters may be good or bad, they may even be wrong, but the government is not punishing only the protesters. It is punishing all Kashmiris, and it has been doing so for the past 30 days,” he said.
Bilawal described the upcoming AJK elections as the most significant in the region’s history given the prevailing situation, saying the people had never witnessed such circumstances before.
“This is a test for the state of Azad Kashmir, this is a test for the state of Pakistan, this is a test for all political parties and politicians because it is the responsibility of politicians to represent you, to become your voice and to carry that voice to Muzaffarabad, to Islamabad and to the entire world,” he said.
Bilawal said he had proposed the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the ongoing crisis, adding that the mechanism could help resolve the issues if accepted by both the government and the protesters.
“Until this Truth and Reconciliation Commission completes its work — if such a commission is formed — my request to the protesters would be to end their protest until the commission completes its work. My request to the state of Pakistan would be that if the protesters are willing to accept this proposal, then the government should also halt its actions until the commission completes its work. The commission should determine who was wrong, who was right, who committed crimes, and who did not,” he said.
Bilawal added that neither the government nor the protesters had so far responded to the proposal.
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More to follow.
