Altaf Hamid Rao.
Muzaffarabad/MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Prime minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, has urged the federal government to provide the required grant of budget to the AJK government in accordance with 2018’s financial contract.
Talking to journalists here on Sunday, the AJK premier, while referring to his government’s legitimate demands, said that Azad Kashmir was facing a severe financial crisis. “The federal government should fulfil our legitimate demands rather than treating us as beggars”, he maintained.
Regarding the central government’s step motherly attitude towards the AJK government, the PM said, “It was quite unfortunate that the PML-N led coalition government is not treating us fairly”.
“I salute Raja Farooq Haider Khan for his courage he had shown during successful passage of 13th amendment that granted administrative and financial autonomy to Azad Kashmir”, the PM said, adding that he had already acknowledged his services on the floor of the Legislative Assembly.
Regarding the establishment of Tourism Authority (TA), the PM made it clear that the setting up of the TA was meant to make investment possible through one window operation. On municipal elections, he said that the government was serious enough to hold the much-delayed polls in the region.
Reiterating his commitment to safeguard the interests of the people of Azad Kashmir, the PM said that he would never compromise on the honour of the people of this region.
The PM said that his stance on 15th amendment was very clear. “The PTI government won’t compromise on vital national interests”, he said adding that negative propaganda being peddled on social media regarding the abolition of 13th amendment was a conspiracy aimed at creating political unrest within the region.
“We support the 15th Amendment to the extent of increasing the number of Ministers”, he said adding that 16 ministries were not enough to run 24 departments.
“The previous government governed with 25 ministers and we have a cabinet of just16 ministers” he said.
“I want to strengthen the atmosphere of tolerance within liberated territory, but the attitude of the federal government towards Azad Kashmir is not good for anyone”, the PM said, adding that the government was being forced to raise our voices.
“As per the 2018 financial agreement, Azad Kashmir should get 3.6% share from federal taxes pool”, the PM said.
“Since we are not part of the finance commission, no one is listening to us”, he lamented. The federal government, he said, was supposed to release a grant 225 billion rupees to the AJK government but not a single penny has been released so far.
He said that a summary was formally sent to the centre for the release of our funds but we were asked to meet the expenses from our own resources. “Even the responsibility for accomplishing the projects initiated and funded by the federal government has been laid on our shoulders”, Khan said.
“What they want to achieve from the Azad Kashmir government through financial pressure”, the PM said, adding that the issue should be discussed openly. “No one is anti-Pakistan in Azad Kashmir, Kashmiris are well-wishers and loyal to Pakistan, we do not need certificates of patriotism from any one”, he said.
