Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has defended his recent statements regarding Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) despite facing public criticism and being subjected to a verbal bashing by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in the National Assembly.
“I welcome Bilawal’s criticism, but I stand by my point of view,” Asif stated during an appearance on a private news channel.
The defence minister claimed that political games were being played over the allocation of reserved seats for refugees in Azad Kashmir, and added that politicians were insulting individuals who made sacrifices during the war.
Asif noted that he would only choose silence on the issue if his own party leadership issued a directive to do so. “If my party issued a ‘shut up call’, I would remain silent on the matter,” he said.
The tension stems from a political dispute over the upcoming July 27 elections for the 45-seat AJK legislative assembly. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had called for a strike ahead of June 9 to protest the reservation of 12 seats specifically designated for refugees who moved to Pakistan after being displaced from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
During the National Assembly session, Bilawal expressed disapproval of the statements made by federal cabinet members concerning Kashmir.
The PPP chairman directed his grievances toward Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, asking the premier to keep his team under control.
“Why do we have ministers who say that residents of Rawalakot are not Kashmiris?” Bilawal questioned during his speech, pointing out that the minister in question had failed to offer an apology.
Bilawal stated that instead of resolving the local tensions, the federal minister had worsened the situation. “One federal minister, instead of extinguishing the fire, poured more fuel on it,” he said.
The debate began after the defence minister claimed in a television interview that Rawalakot, a region experiencing protests led by the JAAC is not part of Kashmir and that he does not consider its residents to be Kashmiris.
Following the statement, Asif posted a clarification on X, stating that identity in the region is defined by decades of struggle and sacrifice rather than birth certificates.
To defuse the political friction, Bilawal suggested that the government allowed Maulana Fazlur Rehman to step in and handle mediation.
Commenting on this proposal, Asif remarked that deciding whether to resolve these issues through Rehman’s leadership rests entirely with the federal government.
