“The primary purpose of people’s assembly is to engage state subjects to take part in the political & Law-Making process, empowering AJK Legislative assembly as per its foundation, and leading towards the right of self-determination through the constitutional process”. Tanveer Ahmed tells us while sitting in many months-long sit-ins of DRIYA BATCHAO TAHREEK (Save River moment) at Azadi Chowk Muzaffarabad.
Some ten years back Tanveer comes back from the UK to live in Pakistan administrated Jammu Kashmir. He has been working with BBC as a reporter and reported from Iraq, Afghanistan and then Kashmir before his coming back to the homeland. He has also served with a financial institution in the UK, so he is a UK citizen as well as state subject of JK.
After he arrived from the UK to Kashmir (Kotli), he decided not to go back, and he takes another crucial decision of not stepping inside Pakistan until the freedom of JK. This step has changed Tanveer, his wife and their kid’s life forever and since then Tanveer never visited or touched any part of Pakistan. He decided to start research about people aspirations on JK dispute and visited all over Pakistan administrated Jammu Kashmir for data. In 2016, he was abducted & kidnapped by unknown people while he was travelling in his car and then released after a few weeks.
Tanveer gathered data from ten thousand participants from PaJK on the fundamental question of Jammu Kashmir. In 2017, the outcomes of his research were published in Daily Mujadala, a daily newspaper of Rawlakot, Pakistan administrated Jammu District’s local newspaper. According to his survey reports, 73 per cent state subjects from PaJK wants independence. The results were alarming for Pakistan and the sitting administration of its controlled Kashmir. Mujadla was banned within days and Editor was arrested by police.
Tanveer Ahmed is also working to restore the historical paths of Sharda Peeth and he visits frequently to the place at Sharda. Once his whole family was arrested and Jailed for many days in Lipa Valley, he was on a personal visit to Lipa Valley.
After the abrogation of Article 370 on 5th August 2019 by India, Pro-freedom Political parties of PaJK formed an alliance and staged a protest on October 22, 2019, in Muzaffarabad. The protest was handled by police with tear gas, lathi charge and stone-pelting, as a result, one died and several injured. The protesters were demanding a constitutional assembly in AJK which can represent Kashmir dispute and the aspirations of the people of JK. On August 23, some thieves entered Tanveer Ahmed’s house at Sehansa Kotli and took his laptop and research work of around 13 years with them. They did not touch any other thing. Tanveer was at Muzaffarabad for PNA protest.
He demanded his laptop and papers back and staged a protest at Laal Chowk Muzaffarabad with another political activist Mahmood Misafir. Police did not allow them to sit in, arrested both and filed a case against them. He lost all his work of these years.
On August 14, Local administration of Dadyal hoisted a flag at Maqbool Butt chowk Dadyal. Pro-Freedom Parties and Tanveer Ahmed protested and demanded to remove the flag immediately as the Monument named with pro-Independent symbol Maqbool butt and hoisting a flag on the monument hurting the sentiments of the people. When administration did not remove the flag Tanveer Ahmed goes on Hunger strike and after three days local administration asked for some time to remove the flag.
The administration did not fulfil the pledge after passing 72 hours, Tanveer Ahmed steps ahead and removed the flag respectfully and waited for administration to arrive, so he can hand over the flag to them. Upon arrival, police humiliated and tortured Tanveer Ahmed and grabbed him from his throat, torn down his clothes and put him behind the bars. All this happened on August 23.
He charged with sedition for removing Pakistan’s flag from the monument and since then he is in Jail. According to the constitution of Pakistan Article 257 “ Provision relating to the State of Jammu and Kashmir.-When the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir decide to accede to Pakistan, the relationship between Pakistan and that State shall be determined in accordance with the wishes of the people of that State.”
The following article is ample proof of the relationship of the people of Jammu Kashmir with Pakistan and these relationships are not yet decided. Tanveer Ahmed knows it very well and the case is in the court. Hoisting Pakistan’s or Indian flag inside the disputed territory is unlawful as per the UNO resolutions as well. Tanveer Ahmed might not be disloyal to Pakistan but he is loyal to his motherland Jammu Kashmir and there are many reasons to revolt against oppression in the region.