Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Commissioner Mirpur Division Chaudhry Mukhtar Hussain has said “recently promulgated Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance-2024 in Azad Jammu Kashmir is in the larger interest of the people across the state”.
Addressing news conference alongwith Mirpur division Deputy Inspector General Police Ch. Sajjad Hussain at the Commissioner’s office here on Tuesday, Ch. Mukhtar Hussain said that since the people have the constitutional right to protest, it was also necessary to protect the rights of the common people under the law and the constitution.
Our Special Jammu Kashmir state Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao reports that the Commissioner warned that no one has the right to affect the movement of the common man, students going to educational institutions, blocking the way of ambulances transporting patients to hospitals, vandalizing government and people’s property, destroying the businesses of shopkeepers.
Commissioner Mirpur Division Chaudhry Mukhtar Hussain and DIG Police Chaudhry Sajjad Hussain said that the only purpose of the Presidential Ordinance- 2024 was to ensure the safe, secured and uninterrupted movement of the general public including school going students and other common men belonging to all sectors of the society through the places of public utilisation.
“Since the constitutional rights of the people are protected, there should be no hurdles in taking the patients to the hospital, normal life be not affected and the peace of the cities and towns was not disturbed in the name of protests”, the Div. Commissioner said.
He continued that since the AJK promulgated the law through the Presidential Ordinance-2024, this Presidential Ordinance has no political objectives but to make life easier for the citizens of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, he underlined.
While responding to series of questions, the Divisional Commissioner Chaudhry Mukhtar said that the recently arrested persons for holding unlawful meeting at PWD Rest House, seeking their release, shall have to go through the law.
He declared that no any political party has the right to affect people’s lives by holding sticks or by force of arms. “The law will take its course, said Commissioner in response to another question.
To another query, the Commissioner said that Azad Jammu Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry had never said that he had signed a black law. “But in my presence he declared this law valid”, he added.
The Commissioner revealed that the AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq had taken formal prior permission, under the Ordinance for holding public meetings in Sahansa and Bhimbar. These public gatherings were organized after taking formal permission from the concerned district administrations.
He states that before holding any meeting or gathering, the organizers must apply in writing to the District Magistrate at least 48 hours before and take permission from the concerned district magistrate.
In case of rejection or non-implementation of the application, an appeal could be filed with the concerned Divisional Commissioner, who will be bound to implement the application within the next fifteen days, he said and added that otherwise the applicant can appeal to the Home Secretary, Government of Azad Kashmir, who will be bound to take any decision on the application within the next fifteen days.
The Divisional Commissioner said that in case of violation of this law, the person or persons concerned will be imprisoned for three years RI or fined and in case of further violation, they will have to undergo imprisonment for another ten years rigorous imprisonment. .
Referring to the recent local PTI AJK sponsored unlawful meeting held in the PWD rest house, the Commissioner said that the PTI held an illegal meeting at the official venue by securing permission for a tea party,. He said that the law came into action against the organizers of the illegal gathering since the law prevails for everyone, he said in response to a question.
He said that any former AJK prime minister can stay in government guest houses or hold short meetings, but cannot use government guest houses for party meetings or public gatherings.
To another identical question, he said that under this law, even for official events, organizers will be bound to apply for permission from the concerned district magistrate 48 hours in advance.
“To protect the property from damage, Commissioner Mirpur said that this Ordinance was already enforced in Pakistan as a formal law and now across AJK.
Being an Ordinance 2024 in AJK it will remain in force for a period of the next four months. “It will become a permanent law after being presented in the next session of the AJK Legislative Assembly”, he concluded.