PM AJK pays tribute to LoC residents, announces development package for Leepa
Leepa Valley: Prime Minister Azad Kashmir, Iftikhar Gillani, on Sunday paid a rich tribute to the people living along the Line of Control for their courage and resilience in the face of Indian aggression.
Addressing a mammoth public gathering in Leepa Valley, the Prime Minister said that the Indian army’s intermittent and unprovoked cross-LoC shellings had failed to break the spirit of the people.
Stressing the need to promote a progressive, tolerant, and vibrant society, the Prime Minister said that durable peace and stability in the state were not possible unless disruptive elements, who had crept into our ranks, were uprooted.
These disruptive elements, with their own set of agendas, he said, were hell-bent on spreading unrest to achieve their nefarious designs.
The Prime Minister made it clear that even legitimate demands could not justify the use of violent means. He further stated that the discourse fuelling unrest must be avoided.
He warned that such disruptive elements were causing great harm to the Kashmir freedom movement and would have to be discouraged.
Praising the Pakistan Army for its significant contribution and sacrifices to defend the territorial integrity, he said, “We owe a debt of gratitude to the Pak Army soldiers deployed on the LoC for the defense of the homeland.”
Describing Azad Kashmir as a cradle of peace, he said that mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and tolerance have been the heritage of its people.
Underscoring the constitutional role of the AJK government, PM Gilani said, “Along with the development of the liberated territory, the government’s main objective was to promote the Kashmir issue in its historical perspective and galvanize international support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.”
The Prime Minister, on the occasion, announced a comprehensive plan for the promotion of tourism in Leepa Valley.
He invited the people of Leepa to present workable proposals, saying projects would be introduced to provide dignified employment opportunities for the unemployed.
He said steps were underway to improve basic infrastructure, including roads, in Leepa.
The government, he added, aimed to provide the children of Leepa with the best opportunities for higher education, including admission to the country’s best public and top private universities.
PM Gilani announced that all BHUs and RHCs in Leepa would be upgraded in phases.
He also announced that recruitment in government jobs through a third party would begin within the next three months.
Earlier, on his arrival, the Prime Minister was accorded a warm welcome. PML-N workers raised slogans in his favour.
The public gathering was also addressed by Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr. Mustafa Bashir, former minister Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed, Member Kashmir Council Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, Raja Sohail Nasir Khan, Aziz Ahmed Budhan, Ehsan-ul-Haq Shami, Riaz Gillani, Saif-ur-Rehman, Malik Shaukat, Salman Awan, and others.
