Muzaffarabad: The recent negative campaign and propaganda by the Joint Awami Action Committee against the 12 migrant seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is being described as a serious political attempt to undermine the core principle of the right to self-determination and the UN-backed plebiscite demand on Kashmir.
According to political and defence analysts, these 12 seats are not merely electoral representation but serve as a living political testimony of the Kashmir issue, the unity of Jammu and Kashmir, and the displaced Kashmiri population due to the Indian occupation.
The leadership of the Joint Awami Action Committee, including figures such as Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Sardar Umar Nazir, Sardar Aman, and Khawaja Mehran, is accused of repeatedly targeting these seats under the banner of public rights.
Their narrative is being described as an attempt to suppress the political voice of migrant Kashmiris and create internal divisions among the Kashmiri people. Despite the government accepting several public welfare demands, the continuation of protests, wheel-jam strikes, and unrest is being viewed by observers as evidence of a broader agenda beyond public service.
Observers argue that questioning migrant seats effectively weakens the long-standing joint position of Pakistan, Azad Kashmir, and Indian-occupied Kashmir on the right to self-determination, while indirectly providing space to opposing narratives that seek to damage the Kashmir freedom movement.
Analysts further stress that at a time when unity is required, efforts to create division in the name of rights are harmful to the Kashmiri cause, and maintaining the 12 migrant seats is seen as integral to preserving the Kashmir struggle and honoring the sacrifices of martyrs.
