MUZAFFARABAD:Speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly and Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) AJK, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq has stressed the need for an effective role by political parties and leaders in addressing the region’s current challenges, calling for dialogue, institutional reforms, political consensus and a forward-looking approach to governance.
Speaking to senior journalists at the Speaker House here Thursday, Farooq said that the prevailing situation offered politicians an opportunity to realign themselves with national objectives and demonstrate responsible leadership.
He said that political leaders had a fundamental responsibility to find a way forward, provide guidance and explore new avenues for the future rather than remain preoccupied with the past. Learning from previous mistakes, he added, was a sign of political wisdom.
Farooq emphasized that the current circumstances required political maturity and collective efforts to restore confidence, address public concerns and strengthen the effectiveness of democratic institutions.
The AJK Assembly Speaker called for broad-based consensus among political stakeholders on the future of seats reserved for refugees in the Legislative Assembly. He said decisions concerning the electoral and representative structure of the state should be made through consultation and agreement among relevant stakeholders.
Farooq also advocated reforms across all state institutions, arguing that AJK could not achieve sustainable development while maintaining an excessively large administrative structure and bearing its associated financial costs. He stressed that the existing administrative arrangements and expenditure levels needed to be reviewed to ensure that public resources were used more efficiently and directed towards development priorities.
Commenting on the newly elected AJK government, Farooq said that only a few weeks had passed since it assumed office and that the government should be given a reasonable opportunity to move forward in the right direction. He described the government as one comprising young people and said the senior political leadership should provide guidance and create opportunities for younger leaders to learn and gain experience.
He clarified that the Legislative Assembly itself was not the government, explaining that executive authority rested with the prime minister and the cabinet. Although those in power wielded considerable influence, he said, the Speaker of the Assembly was not part of the government. The president of the state was also not a member of the government.
Farooq said that the second phase of cabinet formation was still pending and would be completed following the return of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan. He explained that the government’s expansion had also been delayed because elections remained pending in seven constituencies of the Poonch Division. Without representation from these constituencies, the government could not be considered fully representative or fully functional, he said.
Farooq added that, as the party’s secretary general, he was familiar with party workers as well as the administrative machinery, including the bureaucracy. He said senior leaders should remain present in the Assembly and help younger politicians develop their parliamentary skills and understanding of governance.
He also noted that senior PML-N leaders Raja Farooq Haider and Shah Ghulam Qadir remained important figures within the party and that the government sought their advice and consultation.
Addressing public concerns over the cost of living, Farooq categorically stated that subsidies on electricity and flour would not be abolished. However, he stressed the importance of developing a data-driven mechanism to ensure that concessions and financial relief reached the people who needed them most.
He said targeted subsidies and facilities should be provided on the basis of reliable data, allowing the government to improve the distribution of public assistance while using available resources more effectively.
His remarks underscored the need to balance continued relief for the public with reforms aimed at improving the financial sustainability of the region’s administrative and economic systems.
Discussing the prevailing situation in Poonch Division, Farooq said that negotiations were under way through the intermediary role of the AJK president to improve law and order and help restore normalcy. He described the talks as informal and urged the media to refrain from speculation until the discussions produced tangible results.
Farooq expressed the hope that back-channel engagement would yield positive outcomes and help resolve outstanding issues. He called on the president of the state and the broader political leadership to step forward and use dialogue to address the challenges confronting the region. Political parties and their leaders, he said, had a collective responsibility to play a constructive role rather than allow political differences to undermine their relevance and effectiveness.
Farooq argued that a process of marginalizing political parties and leadership had begun during the previous Assembly’s tenure. He said he had called for the establishment of a fact-finding commission on the emerging situation a year earlier, but no political party had supported the proposal, including the then leadership of PML-N AJK.
He maintained that the current situation required political stakeholders to acknowledge their responsibilities and work towards a sustainable solution.
Farooq said that the deterioration in the prevailing situation could not be attributed to one factor alone. He argued that influential individuals and political figures who had repeatedly changed their public statements and positions over time had also contributed to the crisis. He described such inconsistencies as a manifestation of double standards that had weakened public confidence.
He further alleged that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), during its brief period in power, had attempted to pursue political objectives in connection with the situation in Poonch. Farooq also said elections had been held in phases with the PPP’s consent. He urged the political parties to move beyond partisan considerations and focus on restoring trust, improving governance and addressing the concerns of the public.
The PML-N AJK secretary general also highlighted the importance of engaging with the overseas Kashmiri diaspora, particularly in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom. He said that the late Barrister Sultan Chaudhry had played an influential role and enjoyed considerable standing among overseas communities. His death, Farooq observed, had changed the dynamics of engagement with the diaspora.
He said that misinformation circulating on social media had contributed to an increasingly negative atmosphere among overseas Kashmiris and had aggravated mistrust.
Farooq disclosed that he had been personally willing to engage with diaspora representatives abroad and had intended to travel overseas. However, the process of government formation after the elections and other pending matters had prevented him from doing so.
He proposed that delegations comprising representatives of the Legislative Assembly and leadership from all political parties in the state should visit overseas communities to address concerns, clarify the situation and help rebuild confidence. Such visits, he said, can provide an opportunity for direct communication and help counter misinformation through engagement with political representatives and community stakeholders.
Concluding his remarks, Farooq reiterated that the present situation demanded a more effective and responsible role from political leadership. He said political parties must remain relevant by engaging with the public, facilitating dialogue and contributing to solutions rather than allowing divisions and inconsistent positions to deepen existing problems.
He emphasized that the future of AJK depended on political consensus, institutional reform, responsible governance, and a willingness among leaders to learn from past mistakes. The Speaker called for collective efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, improve public confidence, and establish a more sustainable direction for the region’s political and administrative future.