The headline of the country’s leading English daily DAWN today is quite disturbing: “PPP and PML (N) on war path in Azad Kashmir”.
Unlike in Pakistan itself.
It is generally perceived here from Karachi to Islamabad that the two mainstream grand old parties though try now and then to create an impression that they are genuinely in a state of confrontation, are infact secretly aligned to counter two possible threats to their political dominance— one that of the rise of the PTI and its charismatic founder Imran Khan, and the other the Pak Army and its highly popular chief General Raheel Sharif. The two old rivals have been successfully bailing each other out of every emerging crisis of threatening nature.
But the confrontation in Azad Kashmir seems to be of a serious character. The PPP leadership is aware of how the PML (N) had neutralised and rooted out the PPP from Gilgat and Baltistan. And it is a political tradition here that the party that controls Islamabad regards it, its Divine right to control Muzaffarabad too. With the elections in Azad Kashmir in sight, the PML (N) has got busy with its strategy and tactics to throw the PPP out of power in Muszaffarabad.
The killing of a PPP worker by the PML (N) activists who are never shy of proving their bullying prowess has led to strong reactions from Mr Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto on the one hand, and the PPP Prime Minister Ch. Abdul Majeed on the other hand. Black day is being Observed in Azad Kashmir as a mark of protest against the PML (N) militancy in the PPP area of authority. The PML (N) has retaliated by demanding the resignation of Chaudhry Abdul Majeed.
It is a disturbing state of affairs from strictly nationalistic point of view. We are conveying an impression to the international community that Islamabad and New Dehli have identical mindsets about Kashmir.
Is there any possibility of the approaching AJK elections being held in an environment that will raise the prestige of this country worldwide?
Can our Army keep the PML (N) from playing a bully in AJK?