“Have no intention of inducting political heads as administrators in the civic institutions, merit and good governance are the top most priorities of incumbent regime, says government committed to rid the state institutions of corruption and nepotism, vows to make MDA a corruption free entity, urges media-men to highlight positive aspects of the government ”
Altaf Hameed Rao
MIRPUR (AJK): Acting Prime Minister of AJK Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan disclosed here on Tuesday that the local bodies’ elections in Azad Jammu & Kashmir will be held in December this year.
Addressing crowded news conference at the PWD Rest house here, Nisar said that the incumbent government of AJK was serious for holding civic polls on time under the auspices of AJK Election Commission. He underlined that the civic polls were delayed because of the re-determination of the chief election commissioner of AJK after the induction of the Chief Election Commissioner and former Chief Justice of AJK High Court Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal as the Judge of the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
MLA from Khari (Mirpur) constituency and ex Minister Ch. Rukhsar Ahmed, Director General MDA Ejaz Raza and other senior officials of Mirpur district administration and heads of the nation-building departments were also present on this occasion.
He made it clear that because of the reason of the holding of the civic polls, the government has no intention to induct political heads as administrators in the civic institutions in Azad Jammu Kashmir and instead the government was seriously contemplating to hold local bodies’ elections in AJK in December this year.
The acting prime minister said that merit and good governance were the top priorities of the government in the state-run institutions. “All necessary steps are being taken to facilitate the masses across the liberated territory equal from the state resources of AJ&K”, he declared. He said that the incumbent Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider-led government took revolutionary steps for the uplift of AJK since it came to power.
Referring to the so-far outstanding performance of the sitting AJK government Raja Nisar said that the present government has highlighted state integrity and people’s interest on every forum. He said that the future economic conditions of Azad Jammu Kashmir primarily rely on forests, tourism and Hydro Power Projects. These projects will not only make AJK self sufficient but also earn revenue for us to ameliorate the life style of the common man in the liberated area.
Raja Nisar said that all the state-run institutions including ‘defamed’ Mirpur Development Authority will be made clean of the corrupt elements to translate the popular slogan of good governance of the incumbent regime in to reality to deliver to the masses with due facilities. He said that the issues related to MDA including double allotments, induction of ‘Safarshi’ (illicit recommendees) incapable under nepotism and political affiliations during the outgoing PPP regime, would be removed from the offices to ensure the rule of law and principle of merit, he added.
The acting prime minister asked the journalists to highlight positive aspects of the government through the best of their professional potential, intellect and pen. He said that the government believed in close liaison with the media.