ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed concern over the ongoing unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), warning that continued instability risks harming the Kashmir cause and weakening Pakistan’s long-standing diplomatic narrative on the issue.
He said the current situation is damaging not only internal peace but also the international standing of Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, which he described as a sensitive and central national objective. Bilawal cautioned that unrest creates space for hostile actors to exploit the situation and divert attention from the core political and humanitarian dimensions of the Kashmir dispute.
Urging restraint, he called on all protesting groups to end demonstrations peacefully and stressed that the Kashmir issue and related political grievances must be pursued through constitutional, democratic, and non-violent channels. He emphasized that preserving the legitimacy of the Kashmir cause depends on discipline, unity, and peaceful political engagement.
Bilawal Bhutto also reiterated that the Pakistan Peoples Party has already called for the withdrawal of the previously announced early election schedule in AJK, arguing that political processes must be aligned with stability and broader consensus to avoid further escalation.
He further said the PPP remains committed to strengthening dialogue mechanisms and would support the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address long-standing grievances in a structured manner, ensuring that unresolved disputes do not continue to fuel unrest.
According to him, if all stakeholders agree, the AJK administration may review notifications related to protesting groups so that individuals not involved in wrongdoing are not unfairly affected, reinforcing the principle that political accountability should be targeted and just, not collective.
Overall, Bilawal stressed that protecting the Kashmir cause requires maintaining peace, institutional responsibility, and a unified political approach that prevents internal unrest from overshadowing the broader national and international advocacy for Kashmir.
