Islamabad (Tassawar News) Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Salman Akram Raja recently voiced profound reservations regarding the current political maneuvering in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), asserting that a strategic “political game” is actively undermining the region’s democratic foundations.1 This critique, delivered during a press conference in Islamabad, spotlights significant anxieties surrounding the integrity of the electoral and political processes within AJK, particularly concerning the participation and rights of the country’s most prominent political entity.
$\star$ Challenges to Political Participation and Registration
A central point of contention articulated by the PTI stalwart is the persistent failure to formally register the party in Azad Kashmir.2 Mr. Raja underscored this as an anomaly, given PTI’s status as the largest political force at the national level. He posited that this bureaucratic impediment is not an oversight but a deliberate component of what he perceives as broader, coordinated machinations intended to systematically exclude PTI from meaningful engagement in the AJK political arena. This exclusion, he argued, constitutes a fundamental affront to the principles of a multi-party democratic system.
“The refusal to formally register the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Azad Kashmir, despite its undeniable stature as the nation’s largest political force, is highly indicative of concerted efforts to impede our legitimate participation,” stated Mr. Raja. “This administrative roadblock is perceived not as a procedural matter but as an instrumental tool in a wider political strategy aimed at engineering a predetermined outcome.”
The leader’s assertions draw a parallel between the current scenario and historical precedents, alleging that these are not the first attempts to artificially construct a political framework in the region. This pattern, he suggests, points towards a recurrent strategy of interference designed to bypass genuine public mandate.
$\star$ Allegations of Coercion and Engineering an ‘Artificial Political Order’
Mr. Raja further elaborated on the alleged tactics employed to erode the party’s parliamentary strength. He made serious claims that a substantial number of PTI’s elected representatives—specifically twenty-nine assembly members—were subjected to undue pressure or coerced into defecting, resulting in a critical splintering of the party’s legislative bloc.
Moreover, the press conference brought to light past incidents where several of PTI’s duly elected representatives were controversially declared “independent” under circumstances that he deemed highly questionable. This sequence of events, Mr. Raja contends, demonstrates a consistent effort to create an “artificial political order”—one that does not genuinely reflect the will of the electorate but is instead engineered through non-transparent and, allegedly, coercive means.
The cumulative effect of these actions, from the denial of party registration to the alleged manipulation of parliamentary membership, raises serious questions about the sovereignty of the vote and the fundamental fairness of the political ecosystem operating in AJK. The leader’s message serves as a powerful call for international and national scrutiny into practices that appear designed to marginalize a major political actor.
$\star$ Conclusion: The Prerequisite for Genuine Political Stability
In his concluding remarks, Salman Akram Raja asserted that true, enduring political stability in Azad Kashmir is inextricably linked to the uncompromising adherence to democratic fundamentals. He stipulated that such stability can only be achieved through a triad of essential conditions: fair representation of all major political stakeholders, the rigorous application of transparent procedures in all electoral and legislative matters, and, critically, an overarching respect for democratic principles.
Without these safeguards firmly in place, he warned, any governmental structure established will suffer from a crisis of legitimacy, remaining vulnerable to instability and public distrust. The PTI leader’s address is therefore a significant and timely demand for the immediate cessation of political gamesmanship and a firm return to democratic norms as the sole pathway for ensuring a stable and representative government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
