MUZAFFARABAD: Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Raja Farooq Haider on Thursday said if the government wanted to imprison him [for alleged embezzlements], it should do so without delay, as he would not apply for either pre-arrest or post-arrest bail.

“Whoever wants to file a reference against me should do it today rather than tomorrow. Rest assured, whether I stay in jail for a year or two, I will not apply for bail,” he said during his speech at a public meeting held in Nakyal, Kotli, to mark the third death anniversary of veteran Kashmiri leader Sardar Sikandar Hayat.

“But he should remember that he will be paid back in the same coin… What goes around comes around,” Mr Haider added, in a pointed reference to Prime Minister Anwarul Haq.

Mr Haider, who has long been at odds with Prime Minister Haq, sharply criticised his governance style and the performance of his government.

“In AJK, both the government and the opposition are from the PTI. The prime minister remains a supporter of Imran Khan, as he has neither issued a statement against him nor condemned the May 9 [2023] incidents,” Mr Haider claimed.

He further alleged that AJK cabinet meetings were held through circulation and that even the budget was approved in this manner.

“I announce my full resistance to the current political situation, but remember, I am not taking on the entire responsibility. Everyone must also do their part,” he stressed.

He also claimed that former premier Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was trapped through a conspiracy and subsequently disqualified.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2024