‘Better livelihood opportunities planned for people’s development’

Islamabad: My government has prioritised the development of education, information technology, and tourism sectors to create better livelihood opportunities for the residents for their socioeconomic development, said Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.

He told reporters that he had planned the launch of several IT projects in the region and was even hiring experts for it. According to Mr Ilyas, the promotion of the tourism sector is his other priority with the aim of addressing the unemployment issue.

"Education, IT, and tourism promise development, so my focus is on their promotion," he said. The prime minister said as part of his development plans, he visited districts and announced and inaugurated numerous projects, whose successful execution would increase economic activity and improve living standards.

He said he was ensuring good governance for the speedy yet effective resolution of the people's issues and set up a complaint cell in the Prime Minister's House to strengthen the public grievance redressal system.

Mr Ilyas said local body elections were held in the region in a free and transparent manner despite hurdles by the opposition to transfer the power to the grassroots level. He said he launched a housing scheme for martyrs and poor people.

The prime minister said when it came to the Kashmir issue, he met international delegations for its solution to the relief of Kashmiris, who were oppressed by the occupation forces. He said he recently met the US ambassador, highlighted the Kashmir cause, and advocated the right of Kashmiris to self-determination. "He is the first prime minister of Azad Kashmir with whom the American ambassador recently met and discussed the Kashmir issue," he said.