AJK PM thanks Centre for releasing over Rs9bn uplift funds

ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq on Saturday thanked the federal government for releasing the funds of Rs9.7 billion to the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in terms of annual development programme.

During his meeting with Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, the AJK PM said that the amount would be instrumental in bringing development that had stopped owing to the shortage of development funds. “With the release of this money, the development in the state which had stopped will start again,” he said, adding that the release of funds would lead to a positive change in the infrastructure and economy of AJK. Prime Minister Anwarul Haq also discussed the financial problems of Azad Jammu and Kashmir with the finance minister and apprised him of his government’s efforts to increase the revenue at the local level.

Referring to the earlier assurance given by the federal government at the time of budgeting, the PM urged the finance minister to release the promised funds, so that the AJK government could be able to meet the non-development expenditures which it had spent on the payment of salaries and pensions of state employees.

It may be recalled here that out of Rs28 billion allocated for the annual development programme, only Rs11 billion were released before Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq assumed the charge of AJK government.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, welcoming Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, assured him of full support by the federal government for the uplift projects in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the development in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir was the top priority of the federal government.

Meanwhile, AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry said that the Kashmiri diaspora in the UK and other parts of the world must play their due role to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people at all international forums. He expressed these views in a meeting with Chaudhry Khadim Hussain, President of Kashmir Peace Forum International Midland, at Kashmir House.

The AJK president further said that the Kashmiris living in the UK have played a very important role in creating public awareness about the Kashmir issue and human rights violations being committed by the Indian occupation forces in the held territory. He said the Indian atrocities against the innocent Kashmiris have increased at an unprecedented scale and the Kashmiri people were going through a difficult situation. “At this crucial point of time, the Kashmiri diaspora should redouble its efforts to highlight the plight of Kashmiris and expose the heinous crimes and human rights abuses committed by the Indian forces in IOK,” he added.