MUZAFFARABAD: In a landmark development, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Monday tabled a constitutional amendment bill in the Legislative Assembly aimed mainly at doing away with the financial and administrative powers of the AJK Council that has long been dubbed a parallel government.

The session to table the 13th amendment bill was convened by the government afresh on Monday only a day after the conclusion of the five-day-long budget session.

Of the 11-member opposition, only three — Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan and Malick Mohammad Nawaz of Muslim Conference (MC) and Abdul Majid Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) — were present in Monday’s session.

Though they made it clear that they were also all out for the empowerment of the assembly and the elected government in Muzaffarabad, they were nonplussed by the “hasty and haphazard move.”

Bill proposes grant of all fundamental rights to AJK citizens as admissible to people of Pakistan, senior minister says

The PTI lawmaker pointed out that section 33 of the AJK interim constitution clearly stated that no amendment shall be made in sections 31, 33 and 56 except with the prior approval of the government of Pakistan.

“As such there is no prior approval of the federal government. In case the approval does not come within 14 days, the bill will become infructuous, earning disgrace to this house,” he maintained.

However, senior minister Chaudhry Tariq Farooq reminded the house that the government tabled the bill only after the National Security Committee had agreed in principle to empower the AJK government by stripping the Council of its administrative and fiscal powers.

He claimed that the federal cabinet was scheduled to meet on Tuesday to grant formal approval to the constitutional amendments in AJK.

Abdul Rashid Turabi of Jamaat-i-Islami, which is ally of the government, suggested that an all parties’ conference should be convened to establish broader consensus on the amendment.

The senior minister repeatedly assured the house that the government was open to all suggestions in this regard.

“This is an evolutionary process. In order to develop consensus, we are ready to make any or every change,” he declared.

However, the opposition members boycotted the session saying the government was doing “a constitutional business in an unconstitutional manner.”

Later, the senior minister told mediapersons that the bill proposed grant of all fundamental rights to the AJK citizens as were admissible to the people of Pakistan under the 1973 Constitution.

The AJK government would have legislative, administrative and financial powers like that of other provinces and the only legislative body for the territory would be the assembly, he said, adding that the council’s role had been reduced to that of an “advisory body.”

The minister said the bill also proposed holding of legislative assembly sessions for at least 60 days in a year.

He said constitutional protection was given to the 12 seats for Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan while four more constituencies would be carved in the AJK territory on the basis of increased population.

The strength of the cabinet would be 30pc of total strength but it would be applicable from the next assembly. He said the office of acting premier had also been abolished.

To a question, he said the president shall convene the joint sitting of the assembly and council within 14 days from today (Monday) wherein the bill would be referred to the committee on bills for report which would be tabled for voting and subsequent passage by a majority vote.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2018