AJK elections: PTI clinches all three reserved seats

MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) has secured 32 seats out of 53 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly after elections on reserved seats concluded on Monday, getting a comfortable position to form government as compare to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) which obtained 12 seats while Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz PMLN got 7 seats.

Polling on three seats reserved for technocrat, overseas Kashmiris and Ulema was conducted here on Monday at Legislative Assembly Hall. PTI won all three seats securing 27 votes for each candidate.

PTI’s Rafiq Nayyar declared elected on technocrat seat, Muhammad Iqbal on seat reserved for overseas Kashmiris and Maulana Mazhar Saeed on Ulema and Mashaikh seat securing 27 vote each while opposition candidates could secure 14 votes.

Earlier, 5 women were elected unopposed couple of days ago of which PTI secured 3 seats and one each by PPP and PMLN. AJK President Sardar Masood Khan has summoned the Legislative Assembly today (Tuesday) in which newly elected members will swear in while soon after the swearing in, speaker and deputy speaker will be elected while leader of the house (prime minister) will be elected on next day (August 4). After the formation of PTI government, Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to address AJK Legislative Assembly on August 5, the day when India in 2018 abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by repealing Article 270 and 37 of its constitution.

PTI to launch ruthless accountability in AJK after formation of government. PTI’s potential candidate for premiership Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has reiterated that his government will launch ruthless accountability in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) under the vision of transparency and rule of law of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Speaking to media here outside Legislative Assembly on Monday after voting for reserved seats, he said all dreams of the people of Jammu and Kashmir will come true under the dynamic leadership of Imran Khan and his government in the region will implement the agenda in letter and spirit.

“Chairman Accountability Bureau had been made subordinate to the service and general administration department in the region. We will empower him giving constitutional protection to the office and will make the institution independent by repealing the accountability law,” Ilyas elaborated the plan of his government. He said the accountability and establishment of rule of law was the top most priority of his party and government in the country and he will carry the agenda in letter and spirit besides exploring avenues of development, job creation, prosperity of the people in AJK and high lighting the plights of the people of illegally Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) under the guidelines of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said that he had identified different sectors like tourism, water sports, fisheries, forest, minerals and cottages industry to be bloomed in the region which will generate economic activities creating jobs for youth and enhancing revenue of the government.

“We have a complete plan with will and commitment and Insha Allah the fate of the people in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is going to change,” the candidate for premier slot expressed with full zeal and enthusiasm.

He said his government will bring huge investment in the hydroelectric power generation which AJK had a great potential and will improve road connectivity within territory and with other provinces to attract tourists and investors in the region. “Law and order and atmosphere is exemplary in the region for investment and tourism and we will have to only facilitate people coming from outside by improving communication and boarding lodging facilities,” he elaborated further, saying the hotels, motels and tourist lodges will be constructed in different areas.

He said Information Technology (IT) could be another sector in which the region could get excellence and he had a plan to establish software parks in each district to provide youth an opportunity for utilising their capabilities in the development of the region. Besides the development agenda, he said his government would have a special focus on education and health sectors providing people better health care facilities and raising the standard of education though the literacy rate in the region was already high compared to other parts of the country.