ISLAMABAD/KOTLI/RAWALAKOT: The People’s Party AJK observed Monday as a black day and hundreds of its workers led by Prime Minister Ch Abdul Majeed held a protest against the killing of a Jiyala in Kotli during a clash with PML-N activists a couple of days ago.
In Islamabad, opposition parties walked out from the National Assembly over the killing, accusing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of pushing back the country to 90s when politics of victimisation and vendetta was at its peak.
AJK President Sardar Yaqoob Khan also addressed a public meeting in Rawalakot on Monday in connection with black day, warning PML-N against using force and violence to get political mileage.
Peoples Party activist Munshi Khan was killed and ten others injured in a clash between activists of PP AJK and PML-N in Nakial area of Kotli in Saturday.
“The PPP jialas cannot be subdued through use of force. Azad Kashmir must not be construed Lahore… they (PML-N) should not think they can conquer our workers by using vandals like Gullu Butt”, he said.
Yaqoob said that the opponents were now resorting to hooliganism as they clearly see their defeat coming. Party workers should keep in mind PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari’s philosophy that democracy is the best revenge and achieve landslide victory in upcoming elections, he stressed.
The state president held that blood of Chaudhry Munshi Khan will not go to waste, adding that time has proved that Azad Kashmir is still a mini Larkana. He stated that he would come to power with flag in next polls too.
Sardar Yaqoob said if a unit is formed by combining Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan then he was ready to quit his office for the sake of his brothers from Gilgit.
A protest demonstration was also held at Shaheed Chowk in Kotli where the charged workers chanted slogans against the PML-N leadership.
The protesters led by AJK PM Ch Abdul Majeed marched towards Abshar Chowk, carrying banners and placards and chanting slogans. However, shops in Kotli city and Nakyal town, where the PPP activist was killed, remained opened.
The police have arrested PML-N Youth Wing President Sardar Aqeel Khan, the suspect in the murder. Around two dozen others involved in the incident have been arrested while a total 73 people have been nominated in the case.
In Islamabad, joined by Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami, the PPP lawmakers subjected the ruling party to severe criticism, condemning it for resorting to violence before staging a walkout at the national assembly.
However, Muttahida Qaumi Movement stayed aloof to the protest and did not join the other opposition parties in the protest walkout.
Before the walkout, talking on point of order, Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah grilled the government for its undue interference in the upcoming AJK elections and said that despite remaining in exile the dictatorial mindset of the rulers have not changed.
He feared that use of force and crushing the opponent voices would only weaken the democratic institutions in the country and would not serve any purpose to the cause of democracy.
The Leader of Opposition said that had the proper inquiry into Model Town firing been done and the killers of 14 innocent people identified and punished the incidents of firing at PIA rally and killings of innocent PPP activists in Kotli could have been averted.
He said that the PML-N led government wanted to control things through use of force but they have been gravely mistaken as use of force and violence would only weaken the democratic order in the country.
Shah said that PML-N leaders were blaming AJK prime minster for aggravating the situation with his provocative tone and tenor, whereas a senior federal cabinet member in a speech at a public rally made fun of AJK Premier dubbing him as ‘Pahari Bakra’(mountain goat) and used other objectionable remarks against him.
On the other hand despite the repeated requests and even after staging of protest before the Parliament House the development funds for AJK Government were not released while the funds for AJK Council is being distributed through a makeshift arrangement to the people of their choice to influence the upcoming elections in AJK.
Shah said that the way bricks were pelted on the peaceful rally of PPP activists in Kotli which had resulted in the killing of two people, the people of Pakistan were reminded of the atrocities in occupied Kashmir.
Later, chanting slogans against the government, opposition MPs belonging to PPP, PTI and JI left the House while Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq asked the Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid and State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shiekh Aftab to go and bring back the opposition lawmakers in the house.
Later, responding to the points raised in his speech by Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah, Federal Minister for Information Senator Pervaiz Rasheed said that the Leader of Opposition was given the wrong view of the incident of clash in Kotli where two of the PPP activists were killed and asked him to himself probe the matter and whatever would be the conclusion of it the government would accept it.
He said that the fact of the matter is that the PPP government in AJK was harassing PML-N activists and arresting them even before the findings of the judicial inquiry ordered in the case by none other than the AJK prime minister.
He said that actually in Kotli Bazaar, the place of incident, PPP activists had actually attacked the PML-N workers and also damaged their properties and all what happened was in retaliation of their attack.
Pervaiz Rasheed held AJK Prime Minister responsible for the incident because, according to him, his provocative statements and later his government’s failure to provide security to the lives and properties of the people led to the clash between the PPP and PML-N workers which resulted in the loss of human life.
He asked Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah to himself decide the matter after holding independent inquiry into the matter and whatever would be his decision the government would accept it.
