Azad Jammu & Kashmir

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.