Following the deadly clash between workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) that left one activist dead and at least eight others wounded, tensions between the two parties are high. The situation worsened with the PPP’s announcement of Monday as a black day to protest against the wrongful killing of its worker. The PPP’s AJK Prime Minister (PM) Chaudhry Abdul Majeed added that this was a protest against the unreasonable meddling of and provocation by federal ministers. The AJK PM attacked the federal government, claiming that it has neglected this issue despite requests to take notice and now he would write to the Army chief and other heads. The AJK information minister too has similarly criticised the PML-N for resorting to violent tactics in an attempt to steal victory in the upcoming elections. On the other hand the PML-N has called for a judicial inquiry to unearth the facts regarding the clash, stating it was being wrongly accused. Significantly, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s adviser Dr Asif Kirmani has asked the AJK premier to step down since he has failed to maintain order in AJK, while corruption is rampant in government departments. Kirmani also made a stark allegation against the AJK PM stating that he was in Nakial and giving directions to his party activists during the clash, an action which betrayed his ‘ulterior motives’ that also explain why he had conveyed wrong information to the leaders of his party. Meanwhile a protest was arranged outside the Lahore Press Club by the PPP and MNA Faryal Talpur has summoned a meeting of the PPP’s parliamentary party. On Monday, the PPP staged a walkout from parliament in protest.
In political struggle, while contention and rivalry is valid, provocation and violence is not. While reports state that the clash was instigated by PML-N’s provocations during PPP’s procession, only an inquiry can determine and enable apprehending the culprits of the unfortunate incident, which has not done AJK or the democratic system any good. Instead, a spectacle has been created that not only sullies claims of democratic integrity by the political parties, but also makes doubtful the smooth running of the approaching elections. The PM’s adviser’s statement is also inappropriate at best, since AJK’s autonomous status does not allow for such dictation from Pakistan’s federation. Rather than issuing ultimatums, the federal government must exercise restraint and focus its attention on defusing the increasing tensions between the two leading parties. The government’s adoption of an uncooperative demeanour that PPP leaders say reflects a return to the vengeful politics of the 1990s, does not bode well for the PML-N itself. By vexing the PPP leadership that has supported the PML-N rule and by extension the democratic system, the leadership is only strengthening the opposition against it, the effects of which it may soon begin to witness. *