MUZAFFARABAD: A PML-N lawmaker, who is also a minister in the coalition Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government, has strongly defended the 12 assembly seats for the Pakistanbased refugees from India-held Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the government in Muzaffarabad was representative of the entire state, not just the `liberated territory`.

Speaking at a press conference in Bagh on Sunday, held against the backdrop of a vigorous campaign by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action for the abolition of these seats, Minister for Religious Affairs and Auqaf Ahmed Raza maintained that nearly one million refugees from the India-held territory living in Pakistan were a `fundamental party` to the Kashmir dispute, and neither their right tovotenortheirrepresentation couldbe constitutionally, legally, or morally withdrawn.

Mr Raza was elected for the third time from the LA-44 constituency of Kashmir Valley-V, which also covers some peripheral areas of Attock and Rawalpindi districts and the Islamabad Capital Territory.

His late father Alhaj Sanaullah Qadri was elected from this constituency at least five times.

`These refugees sacrificed their homes for the cause of Jammu and Kashmir and migrated to Pakistan on ideological and political grounds. They are as much rightful stakeholders of this state as those living in the liberated territory,` Mr Raza said.

He emphasised the 12 assembly seats were constitutionally protected under the AJK`s interim constitution and were established by the `visionary forefa-thers` of the region to ensure inclusive representation of all territorial units of the former princely state.

`The demand for scrapping these seats is not only unjustified but also part of a broader ploy to divide our people and weaken the Kashmir freedom movement,` he said, warning that such moves could potentially exclude the refugees from a future plebiscite and undermine their long-standing association with the state.

Rejecting the impression that refugees were a burden on AJK, Mr Raza maintained: `We are not a liability on AJK; this region is our homeland too.

The government of AJK is not merely a local authority, but a representative setup of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir.

While referring to the latest census figures, he claimed the number of people currently residing in AJK was barely over two million.

`Those campaigning against refugee seats must consider the historic and political context. Any attempt to exclude refugees from the system is tantamount to deviating from the foundational ideology of this region`s liberation,` he said.

Calling for unity in the face of Indian hostility, Mr Raza said, `We must not let our internal differences weaken our cause. Our unity is the biggest threat to our eternal enemy, India.

He said there was need for transparency and accountability in verifying state subject documents, but this must not be used as a pretext to malign or disenfranchise an entire community.

`I have always opposed fake state subject documents and support scrutiny wherever needed. But the misconduct of a few should not be used to target the entire refugee population,` Mr Raza stressed.

Highlighting the need for collective responsibility and political maturity, the lawmaker said: `We must move forward with solidarity, shun divisive narratives, and play our respective roles in steering the state toward development. Let`s not fall into traps that could damage the broader cause of Kashmir`s freedom.

AJK Public Information Director Raja Amjad Minhas was also present at the press conference.