Qayyum warns against change in AJK set-up

01 Jul, 2004

The Muslim Conference (MC) supreme council meeting warned here on Wednesday against any change in the political set-up of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK).
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, MC chief and former prime minister of AJK Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan said: "The present status of AJK would not remain intact in case of any political change."
He said that AJK is not an administrative unit of Pakistan like the four provinces, but a political unit.
He noted that the world community wants to know the Kashmiris' stance by themselves, but so far they have not been given a chance to do so.
"Kashmiris don't have the system to apprise the world community about their case and sufferings. Pakistani delegations visiting foreign countries do not have requisite preparation to highlight the Kashmir case before the world. Moreover, sufferers can pledge their case much better than anybody else," Qayyum said in response to a question.
Indians have been much better prepared and equipped to justify their false stance on the occupation over Kashmir than our delegations, he added.
He termed the pace of recent India-Pakistan negotiations as satisfactory and urged them to involve Kashmiris into the peace process.
"Both the countries would have to prepare a road map for the settlement of Kashmir conflict and involve Kashmiris into negotiations to make the peace process more reliable for the world," he suggested.
He urged India and Pakistan not to harp tones of 'integral part' and 'jugular vein', and adopt a rationale approach on the issue for its just settlement.
When asked about Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali's resignation, he said there is political instability in Pakistan, but hoped that the coming prime minister would be a strong and stable person.
Commenting on the process of accountability in AJK, the ruling party chief termed it as 'penny wise, pound foolish'.
"No one has questioned any corrupt in AJK except victimising those who owed or corrupted 10 or 20 thousands.
Had I been the prime minister, I would have paid more money to people and asked them to go and enjoy," Qayyum stated.
He said the case of four ministers who had resigned form their offices will be decided in a couple of days.

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