The first scheduled meeting of the nine-member legal committee formed by the Government of Pakistan to address the issue of refugee seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly ended without any progress, as members of the Joint Public Action Committee boycotted the session.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Azad Kashmir government and the federal bureaucracy, while all nominated members of the Joint Public Action Committee remained absent. Their absence has raised concerns over possible delays in legislation or negotiations related to refugee representation.
Law Minister Mian Abdul Waheed represented the Azad Kashmir government at the meeting. Participants also included the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Law and Justice, a legal adviser, and a consultant from the federal government. Raja Ijaz Ahmed Advocate, General Secretary of the Pakistan People’s Party Lawyer Wing, also attended.
Earlier, Tahir Anwar Advocate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had withdrawn from the committee. Representatives of the Action Committee, including Raja Amjad Ali Khan Advocate, Sardar Arbab Advocate and Saad Ansari Advocate did not attend the meeting. Sardar Arbab and Saad Ansari are affiliated with different factions of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). Representatives of nationalist organizations were also unable to participate.
The legal committee was constituted with members from the federal government, the Azad Kashmir government, the Joint Public Action Committee, and nationalist groups. Its mandate is to conduct a detailed and meticulous review of the legal and constitutional aspects of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
The continued boycott and lack of consensus have intensified fears that the long-standing issue of refugee representation may face further delays.
