Governance

CPDR's work on the governance issues of Azad Jammu and Kashmir is widely citied in the following Dawn's feature written by senior journalist Tariq Naqash based in Muzaffarabad

AJK: Asking for the moon |Tariq Naqash | Aug 09, 2015
After its liberation in October, 1947, the 13,297 sq km territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) remained without a proper constitution for over two decades. However, as it draws close to the 68th anniversary of liberation, the region still remains at the crossroads in its struggle for constitutional reforms aimed at empowering the government and institutions for the benefit of the public at large, to which they are answerable and accountable.

Debate on Act 74, between Chaudhary Latif Akbar and Ershad Mahmud on PTV

Impact assessment: CPDR work on Governance issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The relationship between the governments of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has remained fluid over the decades. Nothing concrete was laid out in the initial days of Independence to formalise the relationship. The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and their leadership, strived hard to get a proper constitution and governance setup. Consequently, a number of legal and constitutional arrangements were introduced during the nineteen sixties and seventies.

Working Committee

The participants of the roundtable established a working committee aimed to summarize the recommendation of the roundtable in a report format and present in the next meetings for further discussion. The committee comprised Justice Basharat Ahmad Shaikh, a former Judge of the AJK Supreme Court; Chaudhary Latif Akbar, Secretary General of the Pakistan Peoples Party AJK; Abdur Rashid Abbasi, a Minster in the AJK Government; Ambassador Arif Kamal; and Muhammad Saleem Bismil, Secretary to the AJK Government, Tariq Masud, Zulfiqar Abbasi and Ershad Mahmud were ex-officio members.