Islamabad (Parliament Times): Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhry Anwarul Haq has approved the historic administrative package for Poonch Division while issuing a notification, the Prime Minister announced this historic administrative package at Jammu and Kashmir House Islamabad.
Finance Minister Colonel (R) Waqar Ahmed Noor, Government Ministers Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Mian Abdul Waheed, Diwan Ali Khan Chughtai, Sardar Mir Akbar Khan, Sardar Javed Ayoub, Sardar Muhammad Hussain, Nisar Ansar Abdali, Sardar Ziaul Qamar, Sardar Amir Altaf, Ch. Azhar Sadiq, Sardar Faheem Akhtar Rabbani, Chairman of Inspection Commission Pir Mazhar Saeed Shah participated.
While addressing a crowded press conference, Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq handed over the notification file to former President and Prime Minister Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan.
On the occasion, he said that to remove the feeling of deprivation of the Poonch division, a big package has been approved in consultation with the allied parties, which have been notified. The government is aware of the problems of the people and we will solve all the problems. The purpose of the Poonch package is to remove the sense of deprivation of the people of this division.
Poonch has been empowered administratively by giving the posts of,
Chief Engineer Roads Poonch, Chief Engineer Electronics Poonch, Director Health Services Poonch, Divisional Director Colleges Poonch, Chief Engineer Buildings / Public Health Engineering. The problem of power outages has been solved, and wherever necessary, I will use my authority fully for the welfare of the people.
Army chief’s statement on Kashmir raised the morale of Kashmiris. Kashmiri freedom movement is our everything, our struggle will continue until the right of self-determination is achieved. Financial discipline has been established. What is the end of gray areas? Law is for everyone and everyone belongs to the law. We have worked for eighteen to twenty hours every day during the last four months. The candle of the Azadi Kashmir movement will continue to burn. I will never dissolve the assembly, nor am I accustomed to protocol, nor am I in any dilemma. I will take the same as long as I have the power, I will use it with all my might for the good of God’s creation, he said.
The Prime Minister said that the focus of my press conference today is Poonch Division. Environmental problems are arising due to the diversion of the Neelum Jhelum River. SOPs have been made in collaboration with WAPDA to solve these problems. We talked to the Government of Pakistan regarding the construction of the Rathua Hariyam Bridge in Mirpur. We have appointed a Chief Engineer for Poonch for Urban and Electricity. Head office-level decisions will be made in the capital Muzaffarabad. Senior officers will start sitting in Poonch from tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. We have given relief to our people in electricity bills. The scope of protest on electricity bills has spread all over the country. It took 15 minutes but it took 45 days to do it.
In response to a question, the Prime Minister said that whoever of my members has the support of 27 members, should come forward and show me, I will sit in the opposition. Someone should come forward and show me the majority of the members. I will go home, and even if no one thinks that I will dissolve the assembly, I will sit quietly in the opposition. I am proud to be a Kashmiri. I am also a lawyer, a journalist, and a political activist. A diagnosis has to be made and then it is properly treated.
Equitable distribution of resources will be ensured as per the needs. Our tragedy is that we have left the rule of law behind and are following traditions. While I have tried to make everyone obey the law and have started with myself first, I must have seen over a thousand files in four months, only the signatures have not been noted. It has not been declared illegal, I am moving forward with the enabling legislation. One thing has been made clear, everyone including me has to justify their existence. I know that many issues are still pending, like Neelum Jhelum, flour problem, electricity, Mangala Dam issues, all of them have to be worked on, he said.
In response to another question, he said that during his public visits starting with Poonch, we have divided the budget this year into 33 constituencies of Azad Kashmir, while giving full decision-making power to MLAs for the first time, I hate the word discretion, cabinet decisions to bring discipline. I will enforce it, as long as I live, I will rule over the injury of the sting.
In response to another question, the Prime Minister said that we are giving subsidies on flour, there is no crackdown on the teachers, and the committee formed by the cabinet is doing its work on this issue. I will continue to use it.
In response to another question, the Prime Minister said that journalists are the most reliable minds to shape public opinion. If India tries to make a mistake on the LoC, he will give the answer on the land of India, the district to which I belong, what we did with Abhinandan there, the whole world has seen, the meeting with the caretaker foreign minister was positive on Kashmir.
Their commitment is beyond any doubt. Those who get salaries from public tax money have been made bound by law and regulations. No one should think of relaxation in this regard, as long as I am the Prime Minister, no one can sit at home and get a salary, he said.