Altaf Hamid Rao.
Islamabad/ MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Prime minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, has said that an indiscriminate action against would be taken against those who misuse state resources and commit corruption.
The PM said this during his interview to a private TV channel here on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, the PM said that a strict system of accountability would be put in place in the state to hold accountable all those found guilty of misusing power be it a politician or any other public office holder.
Referring to rampant corruption and looting of forest resources, he said that it was unfortunate that 50% of the state’s forests which used to cover 15% of the area have been reduced to just 15%. “Government officials and politicians together have caused immense damage to the forests”, he said, adding that the ruthless deforestation has adversely impacted the region’s climate and environmental conditions.He said that the menace of corruption has also plagued other departments as well. The government, he said, has decided to take complete details from public office holders about their sources of income to ensure transparency in the system.
Reiterating his commitment to implement the PTI chairman’s vision in the state, the PM said, “I have everything that Allah has given me to fulfill the mission of public service”.The Prime Minister said, “In my opinion Imran Khan is the best leader the nation has got after Quaid-e-Azam”. About the PTI chairman’s generous support, he said that he had increased the funds of Azad Kashmir during his tenure as the prime minister of Pakistan.Khan, he said, had special interest in the construction and development of Azad Kashmir.Regarding the federal government’s decision to impose cuts on the funds of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas said, “The federal government needs to realize the very fact that AJK an important and sensitive area”.“A large number of our youth are unemployed and we are totally dependent on Pakistan for funds”, he said adding that the government has planned to create employment opportunities for them for which we needed funds.He said that the federal government provided us with 59 billion instead of the variable grant of 74 billion. “Pakistan is our big brother and we (Kashmiris) are the protectors of its frontiers”, the PM said.Ruling out any threat to his government, the PM said that there was no threat to the Azad Kashmir government. “Currently we have 32 members. Our main focus right now is on job creation and development”, he said. He appealed the Kashmiri expatriates to come and invest in Azad Kashmir.