Anwar hails Shahbaz’s efforts to resolve AJK protesters’ issue
MUZAFFARABAD (APP):Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Anwar- Ul- Haq while paying tribute to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s swift response to the demands of protesters has categorically denounced the malicious propaganda that AJK was being turned into a province of Pakistan.
Addressing a crowded press conference along with all members of his cabinet here on Wednesday, Prime Minister Haq said nobody was expecting the huge package announced by the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the people of AJK despite the economic constraints in the country.
He said the AJK government was enabled by this package to slash the power tariff and increase wheat flour subsidy as demanded by the protesters however, he said that Joint Action Committee leadership was failed to timely announce the acceptance of their demands which led to few untoward incidents leaving loss of lives and property of the law enforcement agencies.
“Some miscreants being identified, were behind the chaos on the behest of enemies,” Haq added saying law will take its course against them after due process and no one will be allowed to weaken the relationship between the people of Pakistan and AJK.
He said People of Kashmir have been linked with Pakistan through a strong bound of love since long and such elements will be defeated to achieve their vested interest taking refuge behind public demands which were met by the government of Pakistan.
He said maximum restraint was observed by the law enforcement agencies (police) on his direction and no single bullet was fired by the police despite setting ablaze vehicles of police and government officers and killing of a police officers.
The Prime Minister said 273 police men were injured besides killing of one young officer while 3 rangers’ vehicles had been set ablaze by the miscreants despite the fact that they were not confronting the protesters and were moving for deployment on National Installations.
He expressed his resolve to restrict power theft in the region and optimism to cover the losses by zero enhancing the recovery at maximum level after announcement of unmatched tariff rates in the region.
“A foolproof mechanism is being prepared by using technology to overcome the smuggling of wheat and flour otherwise this lowest rate flour will not be available to the poor people and the mafias will make money through smuggling,” he informed the media.
As for as the third demand of the action committee, that is abolishment of the privileges of the government functionaries is concerned, the Prime Minister claimed that his cabinet members and other government functionaries were availing minimum privileges compared to the functionaries of the other provinces and that’s why he had asked the chief Justice High Court to constitute a judicial commission to review these and submit its report.
