A relatively calm and uneventful night compared to the few preceding it. I slept well before midnight last night, though I didn't get up till about 1000hrs this morning.
Many in our territory and our neighbourhood consider our immediate political future to be uncertain. I am trying to explain to them that there is a strategy in place that will ensure that we move from uncertainty (because of variables we have surrendered outside our control) to certainty based on variables within our control.
....
Mukaalima or dialogue is finally trending as an activity in our territory. Belated but still welcome:
:اے جے کے کی 'لیجسلیٹو اسمبلی' کے 12 مہاجرین سیٹوں پر
....مکالمہ کی شکل میں قانونی، تحقیقی اور سیاسی ماہرین کے درمیان گفتگو
:ضرور سنیں، سیکھیں، سکھائیں اور شیئر کریں
اپنے ذاتی تحریری الفاظ کے ساتھ۔
(English Translation):
On the subject of 12 refugee seats in the AJK 'Legislative Assembly':
A dialogue based conversation between research(ers), legal and political experts....
Do listen, learn, teach & share:
With your own written words.
(End of translation)..
— Sohaib Khan (@iamsardarsohaib) May 18, 2026
Notes taken from the c. 3 hour session will be shared here (for educational purposes):
After all, every dialogue in public interest should be recorded and transcribed too. This will save us effort in the future, where our analysis can be sharpened for more demanding tasks ahead, waiting for all of us. Especially those living or connected to AJK but not forgetting the benefit becoming available to the rest of JKA:
Note:
These notes are not analysing each and every point made by each participant, although every point adds its own merit to the conversation. I am just trying to identify those points that will help us best, as we move forward on this people's (public) consultation process. I will also make comments here (which for time constraints I couldn't make during the actual Space), in response to some of the points raised by others.
Total share of 3 hours, 13 minutes & 26 seconds:
Dr Syed Nazir Gilani - Foremost jurist and expert on United Nations (UN) template on Jammu Kashmir & Allied (areas) hailing from Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, though resident in London & currently residing in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Amongst other professional accolades, in 1984 he founded Jammu Kashmir Council for Human Rights (JKCHR), which subsequently obtained consultative status at the UN via ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council).
1h 3m 2s (5 segments of participation including 1 interjection)
NI 26m 26s (3)
HQ 42m 25s (2)
TA 22m 14s (2)
ZK 2m 10s (1) Qs
AC 6m 47s (1)
FS 1m 24s (1) Qs
AB 8m 26s (1)
X Space hosted by Sohaib Khan, entitled 'Importance of Refugees seats in Azad Kashmir assembly. #Kashmir'
Started at 0:46
First announcement to share at 2:09
Second announcement ref Haaris Qadeer 3:25
....
Conversation begins but not formally yet
Dr Nazir Gilani at 4:59
I spoke 7:07 to 7:30 (13 sec)
DNG to me at 8:12
Naseem Iqbal arrives belatedly with a story at 11:26
Formally at 12:00
DNG 1 at 13:40 ends at 25:01 (11m 21s)
(15:38 - territory se baahir, not State ke baahir ref Sardar Ibrahim)
(17:30 - this is an inclusive movement, nobody is being minussed)
(20:20- Kashmiriyo ne kabhi self determination maanga hi nahi - Ye to UN ne ghalti se de diya)
(22:00 - Nobody is less equal)
(24:22 - Territorial and non-territorial representation)
Interjection by DNG at 25:31 to 25:53 (22s)
NI 1 at 25:59 ends at 39:14 (13m 15s)
(29:03 Muhajir representation ended in Act 1964 - State Council made with 8 members)
(29:21 Reformed in Act 68 with 4 Muhajir members & thus extended to 12)
(29:50 Sardar Ibrahim app made first demand for Legislative Assembly via Karachi Conference with c 70 people incl Pakistanis as well as Muhajirs c. 1970 & walked out in disgust)
(30:00 App first adult franchise in 1970 with 25 members incl of muhajireen?)
(30:45 Act 74 with 40 members whereby elections took place in May 1975)
(31:00 Ilhaq shik introduced in March 1975 via President A Quayyum)
(34:20 App in 1961 election (1200 x 2 equally divided between local & muhajir first time discussion of representative govt for all State by Muhajir KH Khurshid?)
Interjection by NI at 38:24 to 38:30 (6s)
DNG 2 at 39:10 ends at 56:09 (16m 59s)
(39:55 Nationalists do not challenge shik in elections via court or PK Supreme Court)
(40:50 We do not challenge over 'half' of powers residing with non State subjects viz. PM PK & 6 others)
(42:15 Ye chiraagh ko bujhaana nahi hay, ye safai ka hi amal hay!)
(46:50 You are manipulating public sentiment against Muhajirs and that is unethical and not democratic or constitutional, not initiated by public but by leaders of JAAC..not dialogue or transparency)
(48:15 1 cr & 1 arb diff between what Muhajirs MLAs get a yr & local MLAs)
(51:06 law of return stands - it will not extinguish)
(52:36 look at macro level, not micro)
(55:40 parliamentary law of recall where he cites London but in a land where budget finance isn't transparent)
HQ 1 at 56:44 ends at 1:13:45 (17m 1s)
(1:00 He gives example of benefits emerging from Bangladesh war of liberation 71' which has been finally extinguished through people power)
….
Continuing on 200525....
(1:05:25 App over 4bn US dollars worth of FX remittances comes into AJK every year)
(1:07:15 Over 1 lakh state subjects are fake in PK admitted by various muhajir contestants)
TA 1 at 1:15:13 ends at 1:32:03 (16m 50s)
Continuing on 210525....
Zahid Khan Questions at 1:32:10 ends at 1:34:20 (2m 10s)
NI 2 at 1:34:25 ends at 1:45:32 (12m 7s)
1:35:50 He thinks we will be going in reverse if we abolish all 12 seats and even lose municipal status..even quoting Praja Sabha moving gradually. He misses the point that 1947 was a great reverse.
1:37:50 1950 rebellion was for right of vote fundamentally
1:39:20 Pakistan ke logo se baat karni paregi (as if they have a right to rule here) that they should remove non State subjects from ruling mechanism
1:40:05 AJK ko internationally representative character dena hay (Without Hindus & Sikhs?)
1:44:00 PK Govt should revert to Standstill Agreement and negotiate a new contract with this territory
Ashraf Chugtai at 1:45:50 ends at 1:52:37 (6m 47s)
DNG 3 at 1:54:30 ends at 2:18:18 (23m 48s)
? Describes PK role as a derivative (not a fundamental role) via UNCIP
2:15:40 Wages & benefits of CJ in AJK being similar to PK is not an appropriate comparison (as we are not integrated into that system)
2:16:50 Aar or paar leader marey hain (he is incorrect)
2:17:05 Pakistan hamaarey huqooq ka custodian hay (false)
2:17:17 Aisi Tehreek Pehle kabhi nahi chali (to counter he cites political & economic rights movement in 1950's)
Faisal Shabir Questions at 2:18:32 ends at 2:19:56 (1m 24s)
HQ 2 at 2:19:58 ends at 2:45:23 (25m 24s)
2:33:36 3 (Defence, currency/communications & foreign policy) should be with PK?
Overall, suggested ainsaaz assembly where muhajireen can be adjusted either symbolically or with vote if they have base here and pay taxes. Otherwise, its just another device to control a territory which is already under a colonial set-up)
Akhlaq Barlas at 2:45:54 ends at 2:54:20 (8m 26s)
2:49:00 Quoting figures for 5 banks in Mirpur (c.2012) 800 000 arb (qarb) not clear how many zeros he is quoting!
NI 3 at 2:54:42 ends at 2:55:40 (58s)
DNG 4 at 2:56:00 ends at 3:05:32 (9m 32s)
3:01:20 Saying that Muhajirs are responsibility of PK Govt is an injustice in his opinion! (Then why have they supposedly taken responsibility under Karachi Agreement?)
3:03:20 If you think this is a colonial set-up then you shouldn't sit with them (I agree!)
TA 2 at 3:05:45 ends at 3:06:13 (28s) but they couldn't hear me properly
Tried again at 3:06:45 to 54 (9s) but they couldn't hear me again
3:07:03 ends at 3:12:27 (5m 24s)
….
....
Public Finance Update:
Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years):
17
Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:
215
Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:
86
Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):
830
Cash in Hand: -79,500
Cash Deposits: 268,340
Immediate Debts: 200
..
Social Welfare Budget (Zakat/Sadqa):
Current Deposits: 257,000
Arrears: 22,776 (pending from 17/03/2026 - money that has been spent elsewhere momentarily but needs to be rightfully returned to this fund)
Distributed (today): 0
Balance: 257,000
....
