Given the limited opportunities for the youth of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Centre for Peace, Development and Reforms (CPDR) since its inception has been working for the youth empowerment through capacity building.
Policy dialogues in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Rawalakot and IslamabadIn March-June 2016, working in collaboration with the British Council, CPDR arranged four policy dialogues in Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Mirpur and Islamabad wherein top political leadership of AJK were given an opportunity to directly interact with the youth leaders on various key issues ahead of State Assembly Elections held in 21 July 2016.
Over 800 young people were provided a platform to initiate a dialogue process and begin the engagement with the senior political leadership. Besides, over 100 young people went through the 4-day long advocacy and active citizens trainings. Some of them are potential future leaders of the region.
Young people asked critical questions to the leadership and made them accountable and also sought their tangible pledge to improve democratic system in AJK, enhance parliamentary oversight and ensure good governance practices if they come to power. Leadership has shown commitment to provide more spaces to young people in their rank and file and also conduct consultation with the young people in the process of policy and decision-making.
The key areas of focus in this regard included:
- Enhancement of the qualitative political participation of the youth.
- Depoliticization of the education system.
- Financial, judicial and administrative empowerment of the local government through an effective revival of the system.
- Capacity building of the youth in AJK for the eradication of unemployment, deprivation and frustration in the region.
Engaging the decision makers in the political context of AJK, members of the civil society, academicians, journalists, lawyers, students and different youth groups were brought together to share their knowledge, experiences and analysis of the prevailing circumstances in their State of Jammu and Kashmir.
1. Policy dialogue entitled Role of Political Parties in Promoting Youth Participation in Decision- making ProcessThe first event of the series was a policy dialogue entitled “Role of Political Parties in Promoting Youth Participation in Decision- making Process” held at Muzaffarabad, AJK on March 10, 2016. With the involvement of around 350 young people from different strata of the society, the political leadership from the mainstream political parties of AJK participated in the dialogue. Around 40 per cent of them were females and some of them asked bold questions and took deeper interest in discussion and generated healthy debate.
Following politicians were the key speakers:
Raja Farooq Haider Khan, President PML-N AJK
Chaudhary Latif Akbar, Finance Minister AJK
Abdur Rashid Turabi, Ameer Jamat-e- Islami AJK
Mrs. Gulzar Fatima, President (Women Wing) PTI AJK
Mrs. Shaheen Kausar Dar, Deputy Speaker AJK Legislative Assembly
Largely debate revolved around the key questions of political parties vision towards youth empowerment, institutionalisation of political parties, intra party elections and parties role in building capacities of young people to play more vibrant and active role as informed citizens. Additionally, some other significant issues such as role of Federal government and its treatment to AJK government also came under discussion. Political leaders also underlined the need to amend constitution, commonly known as Act 1974, to empower AJK government.
Consensus statement The above representatives of the political parties emphasized the need of intra- party democracy, the revival of the local government system as well as the student unions and the elimination of nepotism and dynastic politics in AJK. In this connection following consensus statement was unanimously approved:
After thorough deliberations and exchange of ideas, the following are the consensus points:
1. There is a strong feeling in the youth that nature of democracy in Azad Jammu Kashmir does not provide sufficient spaces for new leadership to emerge. It is pertinent that dominant trends of casteism, nepotism and dynastic politics in the parties should be discouraged.
2. This house is of the opinion that free and fair intra party elections must take place on regular basis at levels.
3. All political parties should give preference to young candidates for upcoming elections
4. Political parties as institution should introduce modern communication tools and ensure transparency in political finance.
5. Right to union and association is one of the basic human rights. Likewise Student unions in AJK must be restored in colleges and universities.
6. Youth is the key driver of progress in political parties. All political parties should impart structured trainings on advocacy, dialogue and policy making to build and empower young people as effective leaders for tomorrow.
7. A large number of AJK youth lives abroad and there is greater need to connect these people back home. In order to realise their potential, political parties of AJK, need to be more active to involve them in AJK politics.
2. Policy dialogue entitled Reviving Public Education System in Azad Jammu and Kashmir: A Citizen’s PerspectiveAs an effort for the depoliticization of the education system, another policy dialogue was held on March 30, 2016 in Mirpur, AJK entitled, “Reviving Public Education System in Azad Jammu and Kashmir: A Citizen’s Perspective”. Along with the engagement of around 200 young leaders of the Mirpur division, the political representatives including AJK Minister for Higher Education, Matloob Inqilabi, Deputy Leader of Opposition AJK Legislative Assembly and PML-N AJK Leader, Ch. Tariq Farooq, Vice Chancellor MUST, Prof. Habib-ur- Rehman, Vice President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) AJK, Zulfiqar Abbasi, Executive Director CPDR, Ershad Mehmud, Dr. Waqas Ali, Ms. Faiza Anayat and senior journalist, Altaf Hamid Rao shared their views on the occasion.
The event was a success as it ensured that the voices of young Kashmiris were heard at the highest level. This signaled the need of a uniformed syllabus and qualitative education system, which must be above all political interference.
3. Policy dialogue in Rawalakot: Revival of Local Body system in AJK and Youth EmpowermentIn the background of the Local bodies (LB) polls in AJK, another policy dialogue was conducted on April 7, 2016 in Rawalakot, AJK in which the demand for amendment in AJK Interim Act 74 to ensure local bodies elections was presented by the participants. They also demanded a revival of the local government system for proper representation of the youth and women in AJK.
Nearly 90 plus young people including lawyers, academicians, students, civil society activists, leaders from student organisations, political parties representatives, civil society activists and media personnel attended this event. Young people took deeper interest in discussion and generated healthy debate in the three hours long policy dialogue. There was decent representation from all the mainstream parties from government and opposition, as panelists.
Discussion largely revolved around the key questions of youth empowerment through local government and how its revival can be crucial to become a vehicle to empower youth in AJK. The panelists also explored that how constitutional cover to hold local bodies election in AJK would help in anchoring this process on sustained basis. Besides it was discussed that how its revival would be crucial in creating spaces for new and young leadership
Following were major speakers:
1. Mr. Saghir Chughtai, Member Kashmir Council
2. Mr. Ejaz Afzal, Naib Ameer of Jamat-e-Islami
3. Sardar SardarAzeem, Ex-Advisor to Prime Minister of AJK
4. Mr. Javaid Sharif, Ex-Candidate and PML-N
5. Sardar Javaid Nisar, Ex-district President Jammu Kashmir People Party (JKPP)
Besides ex- Councillors including Advocate Syed Zafar Hussain Shah, Sardar Arif Khan, Syed Habib Shah Advocate, Shabir Khan, Head National Rural Support Program (NRSP) and leader of women Wing JKPP Ms. Robina Jannat took part in the discussion.
4. Islamabad policy dialogue: Social & Economic Empowerment of Young People of AJK: Opportunities and ChallengesThe Islamabad dialogue was the fourth and last policy dialogue of a series of the policy dialogues. Objective was to arrange a direct interaction between young people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and political parties leaders ahead of elections.
Basing on this, CPDR has invited leaders from major political parties of AJK to share their perspectives on the subject and also aim to provide an opportunity to young people to put forward direct policy inputs to political parties so that it might reflect into their elections campaign and subsequent political strategies.
A diverse group of young people, such as students, activists of the political parties, media persons and civil society were invited. Most of them were below the age of 30 years. Speakers were unanimous stated that we should have non-partisan approach to socio-economic empowerment of young people of AJK. It was also of view that absence of clear revenue generation policies have been hampering AJK’s growth and increasing dependence on Federal Government.
Most of the young people who participated in this event are highly educated and supposed to play a vital role in AJK in the days ahead to shape up social and political complexion of the region.
This type of dialogues is rare opportunity in AJK. Seldom-young people get chance to have candid dialogue with the leadership. This event generated a sense of ownership among young people and also conveyed their grievance as well as aspiration to the leadership who is about to enter in the elections battle.
Guest speakers:
1. Chaudhary Latif Akbar, Minister for Finance, Planning and Development, Government of AJK
2. Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan, Ex-Prime Minister and President Muslim Conference, AJK
3. Sardar Khalid Ibrahim Khan, President of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party
4. Shah Ghulam Qadir, Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League-N, AJK
5. Ms. Shaheen Kosar, Dar, Deputy Speaker AJK Assembly
6. Mr. Zulfiqar Abbasi, Vice President, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, AJK
7. Mr. Ershad Mahmud, Executive Director CPDR
8. Dr Waqas Ali, Director Programme CPDR
9. Mr. Jim Booth, Deputy Director British Council
10. Ms Faiza Inayat, Head of Programme (TACS) British Council and Executive Director, CPDR.
In various contexts, by virtue of this project supported by the British Council, CPDR has been able to bridge the gaps between the political leadership in authoritative positions and the youth comprising an estimated 2.9 million people among the total population of AJK. Documenting the aspirations, experiences and fears of the youth, their issues were presented to the leadership by bringing them at a platform of interactive dialogue, breaking down the barriers between them. Some of the significant achievements in this regard include the generation of the voice and agency of concerned citizens and the initiation of an informed discourse on the state of politics, education, socio- economic issues and infra structure in AJK.
CPDR owes to special thanks to Women Action Forum (WAF) and its President Ms. Shaheen Kausar Dar for their cooperation and logistic support during the whole project. Report written by Aniqa Khan
