Sialkot: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described recent demands to eliminate twelve reserved seats in the Kashmir Assembly for voters residing in Pakistan as an attempt to undermine the electoral process.

According to Radio Pakistan, Khawaja Asif expressed his views on the platform X, emphasizing that the demand to abolish these seats ahead of the upcoming elections is akin to sabotaging democratic proceedings. He argued that democratic values necessitate presenting such demands to the public for consideration on July 27, allowing citizens to determine their representation. Without public engagement, he warned, the demands could be perceived as coercive rather than democratic.

Asif highlighted the historical and demographic significance of these seats, particularly in Sialkot city and tehsil, where there is one seat in the Azad Kashmir Assembly and two seats in the Pakistan National Assembly. He noted that the remaining constituencies are distributed throughout Pakistan. Sialkot, he emphasized, hosts a majority of Kashmiri migrants originally from Jammu. These migrants settled in the area following the upheavals of October 1947, which saw them endure immense hardships, including the loss of over 200,000 lives, violations against women, and the abduction of daughters. He argued that denying these migrants their rightful representation would be unjust.

The Defence Minister further highlighted the enduring struggles faced by these migrants, who have lived in poverty for decades, lacking basic life necessities. He called on those who wish for their voices to be heard to engage through democratic channels.