Altaf Hamid Rao.
AJK PM advice his cabinet colleagues to hold Open Kutcheries every fortnightly,
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan Friday directed his cabinet ministers to hold an ‘Open Kutchery’ every fortnightly in their respective constituencies to inquire about and address the public grievances and resolve their problems at their doorsteps.
The PM said this while while addressing a Cabinet meeting in the State metropolis.
The meeting was attended by the Cabinet members, Chief Secretary and other relevant officials. He said that it was the sole responsibility of the elected representatives to provide relief to common masses at their doorsteps in line with the vision of party chairman Imran Khan.
“No steps will be taken against the constitution and law, we have to lay solid foundation for a better future for the coming generations”, the PM said.
In order to stop deforestation in the region, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan said, “People who depend on forest wood should be provided with alternative sources of fuel, such as cylinders and clay stoves, to preserve forests”. He directed the relevant authorities to devise a comprehensive plan for the protection of forests. The natural environment, he said, was being badly affected due to the continuous erosion of forests.
During the meeting, special prayers were held for Quetta helicopter crash martyrs who laid down their lives while serving the suffering humanity in Balochistan.
In order to ensure across the board accountability, the PM said the accountability law will be further improved. “No one is above the constitution and law”, he added.
Terming the PTI’s landslide victory in Punjab by-election as a great achievement for the party, the PM said that by-elections have proved that people stood with Imran Khan.
Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan also instructed the AKMIDC employees to ensure implementation as per the decision of the cabinet, formulate final recommendations to the committee on the amendment of the Accountability Act and to present the performance of the accountability bureau in the next meeting.
With reference to the pension of government and rural development employees, the AKMIDC was directed to resolve the matter in line with the constitution and law.
The Prime Minister said stone crushing has badly affected the natural environment of Azad Kashmir. A comprehensive mechanism, he said, was required to tackle this issue effectively.
Regarding the extraction and sale of precious stones, the PM stressed the need for a comprehensive mechanism to increase the income of the state.
He said that upgradation of educational institutions in remote areas was necessary provide educational facilities to children at their doorstep.
Meanwhile, the cabinet during its extraordinary meeting took a number of decisions including (A) approval of immediate payment of pension to AKMIDC employees, (B) subsistence allowance for those disabled by Indian firing on the LoC, (C) Board of Investment Act to promote investment in Azad Kashmir, (D) upgradation of 300 educational institutions, Expenses for the establishment of Teacher Learning Academy and Elementary and Secondary Boards, (E )Power Crushers Act to regulate crushing plants affecting the natural environment, (F) Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act to prevent human trafficking and (G) Registration Act 2022.
Moreover, the Cabinet meeting strongly condemned the unconstitutional, illegal and immoral actions of India on 5th August 2019.
The Cabinet meeting paid homage to the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army who were martyred in a helicopter crash in Balochistan recently. The cabinet also expressed its solidarity with the victims while expressing regret over the losses caused during the recent rains and floods across the country.
Special instructions were issued to all the Deputy Commissioners asking them to prepare an estimate of losses and immediate payment of compensation to the martyrs.
Later, Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan gave a briefing to the media. Civil Defense Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Akbar Ibrahim, Special Assistant on Information Chaudhry Muhammad Rafiq Nayar, Information Secretary Ms. Midhat Shehzad and Touseef Abbasi was present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Khan said that a committee headed by a senior member board of revenue has been formed regarding the cancellation of fake domicile certificates.
He said that there can be no compromise whatsoever on the identity and dignity of Azad Kashmir. “Government will not do anything that is against the interest of the state and the people”, he said, adding that no one should either expect any such thing from us.
We strongly condemn the negative propaganda being made on social media to defame the PTI government in Azad Kashmir”, he said.
The finance minister said that federal government was working diligently to implement the written agreement regarding the increase in the salaries of government employees.
Urging the federal government to fulfill its commitments in this regard, Khan said, “The federal government is giving even executive allowance to its employees while the government employees of Azad Kashmir are also deprived of disparity reduction allowance”.
