Peace march in AJK's Sudhnoti demands early elections, end to blockades

A large peace march in Palandri, the headquarters of Sudhnoti district in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, called for an end to unrest and blockades and demanded immediate elections in seven constituencies of Poonch and Sudhnoti.

The Public Alliance Forum Sudhnoti organized the march on Monday. It began at Kotli Chowk, moved through several streets and ended with a public gathering at Kutchery Chowk. Participants carried AJK and Pakistani flags and displayed banners reading, “This homeland is ours, we are its guardians”, “Unrest in the state is unacceptable”, “Lawlessness in the state is unacceptable” and “What do we want? Peace!”

Representatives of the PML-N, PPP, Muslim Conference, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party, Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party and PTI addressed the gathering. Traders, lawyers, transporters, civil society representatives, educationists and ex-servicemen also took part.

A joint declaration urged the governments of Pakistan and AJK to hold elections immediately in the seven constituencies where polling could not take place during the recent AJK elections because of the law and order situation. The elections, originally scheduled for July 27, proceeded in phases amid security concerns, with voting held on July 27, Aug. 2 and Aug. 10.