Altaf Hamid Rao,
MIRPUR (AJK): AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan here on Saturday emphasized upon India to allow the fact finding mission of the United Nations Human Rights Commission to visit the bleeding vale of Indian occupied Jammu Kashmir to assess the prevailing ugly human rights situation there.
Talking to this Correspondent at the side line of the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected office bearers of Kashmir Press Club Mirpur, the Prime Minister said that the safety and security of the human rights situation in Azad Jammu Kashmir was a precedent for the entire world.
He continued that there was not a single political detenue in Azad Jammu Kashmir . He said that the if constitutional and administrative issues related to AJK, Which were pointed out by the Commissioner of UN Human Rights in his report, have been resolved through the 13th amendment made in interim constitution of – Act 1974 of Azad Jammu Kashmir, he added.
The Prime Minister underlined that after 13th constitutional amendment, the AJK Council stands only as the advisory body. He said that the settlement of the issues through the 13th constitutional amendment was the long standing demand of the people of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Raja Farooq Haider Khan disclosed that the people of Azad Jammu Kashmir would be more empowered through bringing about more constitutional reforms and amendments in the interim constitution of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The AJK Prime Minister said that the people of Jammu & Kashmir living at both sides of the line of control extremely loves with Pakistan from each core of their heart. “The Kashmiris will not hesitate from any sacrifice for the security, integrity, prosperity and progress of Pakistan”, he added.
Express great pleasure over the recent decision by the government of Pakistan raising the Water Use Charges from Rs. 0.15 to Rs. 1.10 per power unit in favor of Azad Jammu Kashmir against the use of water for hydel power generation from AJK-based hydro power projects including Mangla, Neelam Jhelum and other existing and upcoming hydel power projects in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Responding to a question by this Correspondent, the Prime Minister said that much-demanded raise in WUC would help in to make Azad Jammu Kashmir self-reliant financially to a greater extent. Haider said that his government was already striving hard to make AJK self-supported financially through making its huge own available natural resources useful for the financial growth of the national exchequer of AJK through implementation of vibrant development policies in letter and spirit, he added.
The Prime Minister thanked the government of Pakistan for raising water use charges WUC meeting the long standing demand and need of the government of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
It may be added that according to the rough estimate, Rs. 12 billion will borne as water use charges per annum to be paid to AJK government against the use of waters of AJK through hydel power production through the AJK-based mega and small hydro power projects located in various parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir.