Islamabad, (Parliament Times) : A review report of President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry’s one-year performance as the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir was released here on Thursday.
According to the report Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry during his one-year in presidency took a number of initiatives both at national and international level to promote Kashmir cause and expose Indian brutalities in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Pertinently, the president took oath of the office on August 25 2021. In his maiden speech Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry said that being president of the base camp ongoing freedom struggle was his first and foremost priority. After assuming the office, t Barrister Chaudhry, adopted a coherent and consistent strategy to highlight the Kashmir issue at the global level.
He made an extraordinary visit to the United States in the last week of September 2021. During his visit, he led a huge demonstration of Kashmiris in front of the United Nations, during Indian premier Narendar Modi’s speech to the UN General Assembly. Later, he attended the UN general assembly session on the occasion of
former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the UNGA. It was for the first time in the 75-year history that an elected president from Azad Kashmir participated in the General Assembly session.
During the same visit, the President held a series of important meetings with influential personalities including the UN General Secretary, members of the American Congress, top officials of the United Nations, and representatives of various US based think tanks.
The President also visited the United Kingdom, France, Holland and Belgium in the last week of October 2021. On 27 October (Black Day), the president led a huge anti-India demonstration in front of the Indian Embassy in London, which was attended by more than 50 members of the British Parliament.
In June this year (2022), the President visited Britain, Ireland and Brussels. On the one hand, he participated in public gatherings organized by overseas community while on the other he held several meetings with British and Irish parliamentarians as well as members of the European Union and briefed them about the latest situation in Kashmir.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry also visited the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on the special invitation of the OIC General Secretary Hassan Ibrahim Talha. Besides meeting with other high officials, he also addressed the gathering of the overseas community.
After Saudi Arabia, the President of the State, Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, made the most important visit to Dubai to highlight the Kashmir issue at the international level.
At the domestic level, the president convened a number of conferences, rallies and seminars on Kashmir. An All party Kashmir Rally was held in Islamabad on February 24, whereas second All-Parties Kashmir Rally was held in Muzaffarabad on March 17, in which the top leadership of all the parties of the state participated.
During his one-year presidency, Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry continued to highlight the Kashmir issue by holding meetings with ambassadors, diplomats and international delegations of different countries in the Presidency. On the occasion of the US congresswoman Ilhan Umar’s visit to Muzaffarabad, the president and Ms Ilhan held a joint press conference in which Ilhan Umar announced to hold a caucus in America in favor of the Kashmir issue.
Recently when Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment by an Indian court, the president Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, raised his voice against the unfair trial and injustices meted out to him in the prison. He also wrote a letter to the United Nations General Secretary in this regard. He also formed a defense committee consisting of barristers for the release of Yasin Malik.
The president also played a key role in ending deadlock in the appointment of judges in AJK High Court, took practical steps to get the financial problems faced by the AJK universities resolved and took special interest in resolving the resettlement issue of sub-families of Mangla Dam upraising affectees. Owing to his efforts Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mirpur Motorway has been approved under the CPEC project.
President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry also played an active role in the completion of the Rathoa Haryam bridge and with his efforts the rest of the work will be completed soon.
The establishment of a dry port in Mirpur was also a very old and long-standing demand, which has been resolved.
On the occasion of Modi’s upcoming address to the General Assembly in September, the AJK president once again announced to hold a protest in New York to expose India’s naked aggression in IOK.
He is likely to meet the OIC General Secretary and attend the OIC’s Kashmir contact group meeting to be held in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session next month.
