Azad Jammu & Kashmir

Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Polity, Politics, and Power-Sharing
by Javaid Hayat
This book explores the opportunities and pitfalls of establishing democracy and legitimate governance in territories with disputed status, especially where governance systems are fragile and the process of democratization is hindered due to socio-political fault lines. The analyses in this study, adds clarity to our understanding of the status and sovereignty of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) by using a historical and constitutional perspective; for this purpose, it investigates political and constitutional evolution since 1947. It examines contemporary power-sharing theories and alternatives for the establishment of an autonomous governance structure in order to proceed towards conflict management and hence a stable democracy in deeply divided societies, with particular focus on AJK. Javaid Hayat has identified new pathways amongst nexuses of sovereignty, autonomy, and democratic governance and has persuasively argued for an alternative model through recognition of ‘internal right to self-determination’ for building veritable autonomous democratic governance structure in the disputed territory of AJK until an opportunity presents itself for an ‘external right to self-determination’—as provided to the people of the erstwhile state of J&K, which was promised by the UN and agreed to, by both Pakistan and India.
Author Description
Dr Javaid Hayat is a ‘Pracademic’ whose career journey has taken him from public to non-profit sector in Asia, Europe, and North America where he has worked with national and international NGOs in various capacities. He is a peace researcher and political scientist. He earned his PhD in Political Science from Freie Universitate, Germany in 2014. He holds two Master’s degrees in Peace, Conflict, and Development Studies from Universitate Jaume-I, Spain, and Mass Communication from University of the Punjab, Pakistan. He has graduated in Non-profit Management from Mount Royal University and Career and Academic Advising from University of Calgary, Canada. He received the prestigious George Zundel fellowship from the Berghof Foundation, Germany (2009–2013). Born in Peshawar and raised in Punjab, Pakistan, Dr Hayat originally hails from Azad Jammu & Kashmir. He has in-depth understanding of the region’s history, people, and politics. He has been involved with local and international NGOs in community development at the grassroots level and Track-II peace-building diplomacy across the de facto Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir. Dr Hayat specialises in power-sharing, democratic governance, and conflict transformation. Presently, Dr Hayat is involved in the non-profit sector in Alberta, Canada.