OSLO, Norway: The Kashmiri-Scandinavian Council (KSC) on Monday welcomed Pakistan’s decision to grant Jammu & Kashmir state greater administrative power and control over financial resources. The council also lauded the government decision to respect and grant the right to the Gilgit-Baltistan region besides declaring five-year tax holiday to encourage investment and uplift their standard of living.
In a press statement Ali Shahnawaz Khan the KSC executive director said, “While India is usurping Kashmiris rights and stealing their resources, it is heartening to see Pakistan responding to the demands of greater fiscal and admin autonomy to Azad Jammu & Kashmir. “We thank Pakistan and congratulate the NGOs, media & politicians for their pro-active approach and persistent struggle spanning over years”, Khan said adding that Pakistan’s eventual acceptance of demands for more rights and access to resources is a huge milestone. Ali accorded special respects and felicitations to the AJK PM, Farooq Haider Khan, for his persistent lobbying accompanied by impressive homework that Islamabad accepted AJK demands. There’s a long way ahead now, to hire staff on merit, curb corruption and waste of resources. “While Muzaffarbad has gained the long, sought-after powers, now the question of the state govt’s capacity arises. Incompetence, favoritism, over-spending and corruption need to be dealt with zero tolerance”, Khan said adding that the public money must be well-spent and be open for public scrutiny.
“From outrageously unrealistic electoral fundraising abroad to wasteful spending in AJK elections, a lot needs to be fixed, regulated and checked to transform the state govt for efficient and effective service delivery. The revenue and police departments need both capacity building and strict accountability”, he added. He expressed the optimism that the AJK government under the premiership of Raja Farooq Haider Khan will strive to make the governance system most efficient, modern and accountable.
