13th Amendment in AJK Constitution opens new vistas of uplift: Ch Saeed

MIRPUR (AJK): Describing the 3-day grand Kashmir moot on archaeology, held for the first time in AJK’s archaeological history, as the positive outburst of the transfer of powers from AJK Council to the AJK government through the 13th Amendment in the Interim constitution of AJK.

AJK Minister for Sports, Youth and Culture Ch Muhammad Saeed said that the historic amendment would open new avenues of the overall speedy socio-economic progress and prosperity of the liberated territory. He was speaking as chief guest at the concluding session of the grand moot, hosted by AJK Tourism, Archaeology, Information and IT Departments of AJK Government here Saturday night.

Secretary Tourism, Archaeology, Information and Information Technology Ms Midhat Shehzad and Director General Tourism and Archaeology Pirzada Ershad Ahmed, Kashmir-origin Lord Mayor of British Scotland city Ch Altaf Hussain, K D Khan, seasoned archaeological expert and Advocate General of AJK, ex DG Tourism and Archaeology Department of AJK and historian of Jammu Kashmir state Dr Mohsin Shakeel, Mian Atiq Ahmed, Secretary General Museum Association of Pakistan, Muhammad Alam Head of Tourism and Hospitality and Dr Muhammad Zahid from Hazara University, Aftab ur Rehman Rana, President Sustainable Tourism Development Foundation of Pakistan, Dr Asma Ibrahim Director State Bank Museum Karachi, Dr Kanwal Khalid from Punjab University , Ambassador (Retd) Arif Kamal and others also addressed the concluding session moving healthy suggestion for the promotion of archaeological and religious tourism for visit and pilgrimage of the archaeological and religious sites located in various parts of AJK.

AJK Secretary Tourism, Archaeology and Information Ms Midhat Shehzad said that first of the three state of the art museums will be established in Mirpur in the near future by his department in the line of the recommendation of the conference. Some of the speakers strongly called for revival of the ancient Gurdwar at Ali Beg in outskirt of Mirpur for pilgrimage by the Sikh community including from across the LoC through revival of natural Mirpur-Changher natural route at the Line of Control at the pattern of the revival of Kartarpur border.

Addressing the conference, the AJK sports and culture affairs minister Ch Saeed said that sitting AJK government was making concerted efforts for the promotion of tourism industry in the state besides to preserve the centuries old archaeological asset. He underlined that tourism sector has emerged as the strong source of economy the world over including the developed nations. He pointed out that the strong economy of the fast emerging Turkey primarily based on its tourism which was securing the economy of $ 50 billion annually.

Referring to the forthcoming arrival of the CPEC in Azad Jammu Kashmir, the minister said that the gigantic project, besides bringing boom of speedy socio economic progress and prosperity in Pakistan, will also help in to bring about speedy uplift.