Pakistan, June 7 -- The Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has upheld the constitutional protection of 12 refugee seats and ruled that any changes must follow a formal amendment process. The court reinforced that constitutional matters require legal and parliamentary procedures rather than political pressure or public protests.

The opinion was issued in response to Presidential Reference No. 1 of 2026, filed under Article 46-A on government advice. It clarified that refugee seats are protected under Article 22 and cannot be altered through administrative decisions or informal arrangements.

Furthermore, the court traced the legal foundation of these seats to earlier laws from 1960, 1964 and 1970, along with interim constitutional fr...