PML-N announces manifesto for AJK polls

Lahore : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz  on Saturday announced its manifesto for the general election 2016 of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) scheduled to be held on July 21.
Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National
Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid announced the manifesto here at a
news conference along with Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and
Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, Special Assistant to Prime
Minister on Political Affairs Dr Asif Kirmani, Chairman Manifesto
Committee former Chief Justice Manzoor Hussain Gilani, PML-N
AJK-chapter President Raja Farooq Haider, deputy mayors of Islamabad Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi and Rifat Javed and other party leaders.
Pervaiz Rashid said the manifesto had been compiled by a team
of experts keeping in view all requirements of AJK and assured that
the PML-N would fulfill each and every word mentioned in the
development agenda.
He said the manifesto committee was formed by Prime Minister
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as president of the PML-N who appointed
former Chief Justice Manzoor Hussain Gilani as head of the manifesto body.
After winning the election, he said, the PML-N would turn AJK
into an ideal state by introducing reforms in different sectors
including education, health, infrastructure, human rights,
administrative and judicial institutions.
Under the manifesto, the party has committed to spend an
additional amount of Rs 50 billion on AJK roads and other
infrastructure’s rehabilitation in five years, besides the annual
development budgetary allocations.
The PML-N would construct Mirpur-Muzaffarabad Expressway and
Leepa valley Tunnel, upgrade existing hospitals by setting up new
trauma centers and build modern DHQ hospitals at the district level.
Five air ambulances, Sui gas to Mirpur and its adjoining areas
and opening of Sui gas office have also been promised.
A parliamentary committee will be constituted to resolve
problems of the affected people of Mangla Dam followed by the
announcement of a package by the Prime Minister of Pakistan on its
recommendations.
A university in district Sadhnoti, agriculture university in
district Bhimber, upgradation of Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences
and beautification of Muzaffarabad also feature the manifesto.
Pervaiz Rashid said it was the hallmark of the PML-N and Nawaz
Sharif that whenever his party came into power, it launched mega
development projects across the country.
He said that all development projects including electricity,
natural gas, motorways, health, education, water projects,
self-reliance in national defence, foreign investment, decent
public transport, ports and roads across Pakistan, were witness to
the development agenda of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
“From Peshawar to Lahore and Gwadar to Khunjrab, all highway
projects have been envisioned and built by Nawaz Sharif,” he added.
Now, Pervaiz Rashid said, a motorway was being built from
Lahore to Karachi and the credit for which went to none other than
Nawaz Sharif.
“Development and progress is identity of the PML-N and Nawaz
Sharif. The PML-N has the track record to set new examples of
development in Pakistan,” he added.
He said other political parties or individuals, who had ruled
for even up to 10 years in the country, had failed to expand the
mega projects like motorway that had been completed by the PML-N in 1998.
Pervaiz Rashid recalled that when the elected government of
PML-N was ousted in 1999, Pakistan had surplus electricity and India was desiring to import it. But, when the PML-N again came into power in 2013, the previous governments of dictator Pervaiz Musharraf and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had pushed the country into darkness because of their failure to add even a single megawatt of electricity to the system.
He expressed confidence that the power projects initiated by
the PML-N government would be completed by the year 2017, adding that all possible means of power generation including solar, coal,atomic and hydro were being explored to improve the energy situation in the country.
“All the means of power generation, being practiced in the
modern word, are being utilized to meet the country’s energy needs,”he added.
The Information Minister said after coming into power, the
PML-N would bring AJK at par with developed cities of Pakistan,
which were competing at international level due to their progress
and development.
“The PML-N’s manifesto for AJK is not mere words, it will be
implemented in letter and spirit, as the people are witnessing the
same being fulfilled in Pakistan,” he said.
Pervaiz Rashid said PML-N’s adversaries including Pakistan
Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had not
announced their party manifestos yet for the AJK elections,
obviously because they had no development vision to share with the
public.
He said despite not being in the AJK government, the PML-N
served the humanity suffering from floods and quakes, saying that
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif himself visited the affected areas to mitigate miseries of the people.
The minister said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari just
criticized the PML-N for nothing but he cannot dare to claim any
development project executed by his party-led government in the
valley during last five years.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Pervaiz Rashid paid tribute
to late Abdul Sattar Edhi for his meritorious services in the field
of social work. About the PTI, he said the party failed to launch
any development model in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which they could commit for replicating in AJK as well.
The PML-N, he said, believed in serving the people like the
legendary Edhi and it always provided best education, health, road
infrastructure facilities besides increased employment opportunities
to the common man.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry
Barjees Tahir said under the Public Sector Development Programme, the federal government had given Rs 13 billion to the AJK government.
While, it would spent Rs 10 billion annually for the development of
AJK.
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also given funds for
Mirpur and Muzaffarabad medical colleges.
He said many mega development projects including construction of motorway and railway links had been announced by the PML-N government in AJK in its manifesto.
Barjees Tahir said in the next five years, Rs 50 billion would be spent on construction of roads and infrastructure rehabilitation in
Kashmir.
He said ambulance service of helicopters will be started in Azad Kashmir to facilitate the patients of the far flung and hilly areas.
He said when the matter of allocating more water for AJK was
raised in the Council of Common Interests (CCI), the AJK PM and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah had opposed the move. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif allocated more water for AJK through executive order.
The minister said Rs 21 billion revenue of AJK government had decreased during last five years and the government is running its
affairs on over draft.
He said voting in favour of the PML-N in upcoming elections would change the destiny of Azad Kashmir as the party had planned to undertake massive development projects in the region.
He expressed the confidence that PML-N would emerge victorious in the elections of AJK legislative assembly on July 21.
He said that government had allowed the PPP government to function and when a no-confidence motion was brought against the AJK premier, the top PML-N leadership advised its AJK leaders to distance themselves from the motion.
“We want to bring change in AJK through power of vote and people’s verdict in the AJK election will be accepted” he added.
He said federal government had given Rs 97 billion to AJK
government for development but not a single development project had been started by the PPP government in the valley.
He said on the request of AJK speaker, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
had allocated Rs 2.5 billion for constructing a building for the AJK Parliament.
The minister said that amendments in 1974 AJK Act can be made
keeping in view the present scenario.
He said the AJK prime minister himself is contesting the elections
and deploying its own administration during the elections.
Barjees said that PPP government in AJK is involved in violence
and making fake cases against PML-N workers.
He said PPP AJK government had not given development funds to opposition parties including PML-N members.
Chairman of the PML-N Manifesto Committee Manzoor Gilani said that record development work would be carried out by the party government in AJK.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Asif Kirmani said that
election campaign of PPP is in front of every one, adding that only few days have left for the polls and now it was trying to take benefit of the tragic incidents of Nakiyal, Bagh, Bhimber and Haveli.
He said that PPP is using bad tactics after apprehending its defeat
in the elections.
Kirmani said it was the responsibility of the election commission
of AJK to take appropriate measures for safety of the people.
PML-N’s AJK-chapter President Raja Farooq Haider said PPP did not work for welfare of the masses seriously.
He said after formation of the PML-N government in AJK, issues of Neelem and Jhelum and other will be solved amicably.
Farooq Haider said it was the responsibility of the federal
government to provide every kind of assistance to election commission of AJK for holding of free, fair and transparent election.
He asked the PPP government in AJK to take notice of violence
against PML-N workers, adding that the AJK ministers are using government resources in the election campaign.
He said PML-N leadership had never used misappropriate language against PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and he should reciprocate.