Kotli (Azadi Times Representative): The Azad Kashmir Public Service Commission has issued a notification regarding a new policy, which includes the decision to eliminate academic marks from the merit system. Only the marks from the written exam and interview will be included in the merit calculation, while academic marks will no longer be considered.

According to the notification, the merit will be determined based on the marks obtained in the screening test and interview. The number of marks for the screening MCQ test has been increased from 50 to 70, replacing the previous allocation of 20 marks for academic qualifications.

The interview will still carry 30 marks as before, bringing the total to 100 marks. The merit will now be based solely on the marks obtained in the written exams and the interview. The number of interview marks has been increased from 80 to 100. This new policy will be implemented immediately.

Muzaffarabad (Azadi Times): The Election Board for the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court Bar has been formed, and elections will be held on 12 October 2024. A notification was issued yesterday, signed by the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Raja Sajjad Ahmad Khan Advocate.

The board members are as follows: Maqboolur Rehman Abbasi Advocate as Chairman, Kausar Parveen Awan Advocate from District Muzaffarabad, Masood A. Sheikh Advocate (Senior Member) from District Mirpur, Sardar Ejaz Nazir Advocate (Member) from Mirpur, Imtiaz Hussain Raja Advocate (Member) from Mirpur, Muhammad Mushtaq Malik Advocate (Senior Member) from Kotli, Tazeem Aziz Advocate (Member) from Kotli, Malik Atif Sajawal Advocate (Senior Member) from Pilandri, Sardar Zarif Aslam Advocate (Member) from Pilandri, Wajid Mumtaz Advocate (Senior Member) from Poonch, Saddam Hussain Chaudhry Advocate (Member) from Poonch, Syed Wajid Gardazi Advocate (Senior Member) from Bagh, and Hamid Manzoor Advocate (Member) from Bagh.

The board will announce the election schedule and make the necessary arrangements.

Muzaffarabad (Azadi Times): The Kashmiri leadership and people have protested against the establishment of a committee for the sale of Kashmir property by the government of Pakistan. “We will not let this happen in any case; is the formula of Imran Khan and Bajwa doctrine still in play?” Senior leader of the Muslim League (N) and former Minister of Food of Azad Kashmir, Syed Shaukat Shah, strongly protested against the decision to establish a committee for the sale of Kashmir property, calling it an attempt to eliminate the Kashmir issue from its roots.

He termed it a conspiracy, demanding that the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Army Chief expose the people behind this move, saying, “Our identity is being erased.” He questioned if the government of Pakistan could not even tolerate the abode of the Kashmiri people in Pakistan, who have represented the hallmark of Kashmir in different cities of Pakistan for seventy years and hold the status of national heritage.

Shaukat Shah said, “What are the factors that are leading to the undermining of the Kashmir cause? Let the Prime Minister of Pakistan bring them forward. We are prepared to do anything against this heinous scheme, which seems like the work of an Indian agent within the bureaucracy.” He added that the purpose of declaring Kashmir the “aorta of Pakistan” was not this. “At times, efforts are made to divide Kashmir, and at other times, it is said that Kashmiris are a burden on Pakistan. May God end such hypocritical characters.”

He urged the Kashmiri people and political leadership to unite and raise their voices against these developments. Shaukat Shah reminded everyone that Maharaja Hari Singh had purchased land in Pakistan for the shelter of the Kashmiri people, and it has remained so to this day. “Now, some hypocritical faces in the bureaucracy can’t tolerate it. The independent government must raise this critical issue before the Prime Minister of Pakistan, or else everyone will bear the consequences.”

Meanwhile, former Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Khalid Mehmood, expressed concern over the formation of the committee to decide the procedure for the sale of the state of Jammu and Kashmir’s property in Pakistan. He appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, to abandon the plan to sell Kashmir’s property in Pakistan and withdraw the notification of the committee’s formation. In his statement, Dr. Khalid Mehmood said that the news of forming a committee headed by the Minister of Kashmir Affairs for the sale of Kashmir property is very dangerous.

The Kashmir State Properties, spread across several cities in Pakistan, have a significant historical and financial footprint. These properties were originally under the administration of the Jammu and Kashmir State and are now managed by the Administrator of Kashmir State Property under the Pakistan’s Kashmir Property Ordinance of 1961.

The aim of this ordinance is to ensure proper management of these properties until a final settlement regarding the State of Jammu and Kashmir is reached. Despite this, many properties have either been sold or remain under nominal rents. Below is a detailed account of these properties.

Major Kashmir State Properties in Lahore

1. Haveli Dyal Singh: Once spanning 55 kanals, 6 marlas, and 150 square feet, a significant portion of this estate—32 kanals, 10 marlas, and 203 square feet—was sold to unknown individuals in 1980 and 1981. Today, only 22 kanals, 17 marlas, and 128 square feet remain.
2. Other Lahore Properties:
   • Lunda Bazaar, Loha Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Changar Mohalla, Thariyan, Jhuggiyan, Sard Chah Bagh, Katir, Ahata Ghulam Bibi, Ahata Mian Sultan, Ahata Kripa Ram, and Sarai Mian Sultan once covered 289 kanals, 5 marlas, and 200 square feet. After sales in the early 1960s, 256 kanals, 8 marlas, and 7 square feet remain.
   • Naulakha Goods Transport: The total area of 1 kanal, 12 marlas, and 221 square feet was completely sold in 1965.
   • Kashmir House on Kashmir Road: Once comprising 100 kanals, 12 marlas, and 13 feet, this property has been sold off entirely.
   • A-10 Kashmir Road: Originally 6 kanals and 12 marlas, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) acquired 2 kanals, 3 marlas, and 53 square feet, leaving 4 kanals, 8 marlas, and 172 square feet.

The Fate of Poonch House Lahore

The grand Poonch House in Lahore, once measuring 212 kanals, saw 36 kanals sold in 1965, leaving no property today. Similarly, Poonch House Construction Scheme Area, measuring 174 kanals, 11 marlas, and 194 square feet, was entirely sold in 1992, erasing its existence from Kashmir’s property registry.

Kashmir State Properties in Gujranwala and Sialkot

• Forest Rest House Wazirabad: Out of its 5 kanals and 13 marlas, 4 kanals and 16 marlas were sold, leaving 17 marlas.
• Sarai Maharaja Sialkot: This 19-kanal, 1-marla property remains intact and unsold. However, Bungalow No. 13 on Hospital Road, Sialkot, covering 1.87 acres, was handed over to the Pakistan Army.

Jhelum and Rawalpindi Estates

• Forest Rest House Jhelum: Of its original 17 kanals and 12 marlas, 13 kanals and 3 marlas were sold, leaving 4 kanals, 19 marlas, and 47 square feet.
• Forest House Shadab Road Jhelum: Originally spanning 43 kanals and 11 marlas, sales left only 4 kanals, 18 marlas, and 47 square feet.
• Poonch House Rawalpindi: This 23-kanal, 11-marla property remains intact, alongside the 10-kanal Sarai Khurd and Kalan Rawalpindi, currently occupied by 83 tenants.

Disappearing Properties in Rawalpindi and Beyond

Several key properties in Rawalpindi, such as the Pindi Hazara Transport Company and the Sarai Ganda Singh, have been entirely sold. Meanwhile, the Raja Bazaar Rawalpindi property, which once hosted 17 shops over 7 kanals and 162 square feet, was also sold in 1962. A property in Azad Pattan measuring 16 kanals and 12 marlas was lost to erosion by the Jhelum River.

Jammu Kashmir State Properties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Kashmir State once owned a 15-kanal property known as Poonch House Mardan, which was sold in 1965. As of today, no Kashmir State Property remains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Agricultural Land Under Kashmir State Property

• Sultanpur Village in Lahore: Of the original 111 acres, 234 kanals and 14 marlas were acquired for the BRB Canal and Railway Line, leaving just over 12 acres.
• Purab Village, Tehsil Ferozewala, Sheikhupura: Out of 1259 acres, 353 acres and 9 marlas were sold in 1981, leaving 906 acres.
• Janghu Chak Village, Sheikhupura: A substantial 1056 acres of land remain intact.

Financials and Administration

The revenue of the Administrator of Kashmir State Property in Lahore during the fiscal year 2004-05 was approximately 60 million rupees, with 30 million rupees documented as expenses. These properties have largely been rented out for nominal amounts. The Administrator of Kashmir Property Ordinance 1961 aims to ensure the proper management of these assets until a resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is reached.

The historical and financial significance of Kashmir State Properties in Pakistan is immense, but over the decades, a considerable portion of these assets has been sold or lost, leaving only remnants of the original holdings. The nominal rents and gradual erosion of property ownership highlight the challenges in preserving these assets, making the Administrator of Kashmir State Property’s role ever more crucial.

Lahore (Azadi Times Report): Jamaat-e-Islami, which was banned from participating in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir’s Assembly elections, has decided to support independent candidates. Earlier, the party had met with Ministry of Home Affairs officials, urging the removal of the ban to allow it to contest the elections. However, those negotiations are currently stalled.

According to India Today, Jamaat-e-Islami recently held a meeting in Pulwama, where they decided to support four independent candidates from the southern Kashmir regions of Kulgam, Pulwama, Devsar, and Zainapora. The party also plans to support more candidates in the second and third phases of the elections.

The 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with results announced on October 8.

Jamaat-e-Islami was banned in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs for alleged anti-state activities and links to terrorism. Due to this ban, the party cannot officially contest elections. Earlier this year, the ministry extended the ban for another five years.

Jamaat-e-Islami has been accused of backing armed and violent protests, as well as supporting separatism in Kashmir. Following the controversial 1987 Assembly elections, the party aligned itself with pro-Pakistan armed movements. The militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, associated with Jamaat-e-Islami, played a crucial role in shifting the popularity of the guerrilla movement led by the JKLF (Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front) toward a pro-Pakistan narrative.

After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the government cracked down on Jamaat-e-Islami along with other groups, arresting its leaders and seizing assets.

Over the past year, Jamaat-e-Islami has shown a change in its stance. It has appealed for the removal of the ban and announced its intention to operate within the Indian Constitution. The party also dropped its long-standing election boycott and now supports independent candidates despite the ban.

Former Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ghulam Qadir Wani confirmed the party’s participation in the elections, stating, “We have never opposed elections. We support our candidates and hope they will address the people’s issues.”

Historically, Jamaat-e-Islami and other separatist or pro-Pakistan groups have called for large-scale election boycotts in the Kashmir Valley. However, the influence of these boycotts seems to be diminishing. With Jamaat-e-Islami’s open support for elections, voter turnout in both northern and southern Kashmir could be significantly impacted.

Despite the party’s earlier claims of religious ties with Pakistan, which led to the sacrifice of thousands of lives, Jamaat-e-Islami has now reversed its position. By accepting the Indian Constitution and participating in the elections, the party has effectively moved beyond its previous stance, signaling a shift from its past actions.

Muzaffarabad: The Government of Pakistan has decided to sell valuable Kashmir properties located in various cities and rural areas across the country. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a seven-member committee, headed by the Minister for Kashmir Affairs, to outline the procedure for the sale. The committee, however, does not include any representative from Jammu and Kashmir, with the Chief Secretary (Pakistani) from Jammu and Kashmir being appointed as the representative.

The official reasoning behind this move is that the proceeds from the sale of these properties will be used for the welfare of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir. However, concerns have been raised as the Kashmir properties in question are situated in prime commercial locations such as Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Gujranwala, along with agricultural land. Some of these properties have already been encroached upon, raising suspicions that the committee may attempt to sell these valuable assets to powerful groups at very low prices.

Experts argue that instead of selling these Kashmir properties, they should be handed over to local governments. This would ensure the protection of the properties until a final resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir conflict is reached. In the meantime, local governments could use the properties for commercial and agricultural purposes to generate revenue.

While it is acknowledged that local governments would also seek to profit from these properties, this approach would safeguard the assets. In the future, once permanent governments are established, the properties could be utilized for public welfare projects.