MUZAFFARABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will restore the accountability law in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to its original form after holding the present “corrupt and inefficient” Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government accountable through the power of vote in the next year’s general elections, a PTI’s top regional leader claimed on Friday.

Speaking at a “Meet the Press” programme at the Central Press Club, Barrister Sultan Mahmood, also a former AJK prime minister from 1996 to 2001, regretted that despite getting generous funds from the central government, the PML-N government had “miserably” failed to launch a single visible mega project in the state “which spoke volumes about its inefficiency, prodigality and dishonest dealings”.

“Over the last four years they could not do anything to ameliorate the lot of people and instead of admitting their fallibilities they are just beating about the bush when hardly 10 months are left until the next elections,” he remarked.

Recounting what he described as “achievements of his five-year rule in spite of cuts by two successive federal governments in AJK’s budget” Mr Mahmood maintained that Prime Minister Imran Khan had not imposed any cut on AJK budget.

Additionally, Prime Minister Khan had also approved several mega projects for AJK, such as a scheme for the rehabilitation of Indian shelling victims along the Line of Control, billion tree tsunami, and health cards for the entire AJK population.”

Mr Mahmood announced that his party would soon publish a “white paper” on “brazen corruption and nepotism” by the PML-N government, ever since its inception in AJK.

To a question, he claimed that he was never in favour of a no-trust move against PM Raja Farooq Haider.

“Differences with the government apart, I have always been for the continuity of the democratic process,” he said.

The PTI chief ruled out an electoral alliance with any other party and reiterated that his party would field its own candidates in all constituencies.

“I am sure if the resources are used honestly as well as systemically, Azad Kashmir can become a model state,” he said.

While announcing restoration of accountability to take all corrupt elements to task, he also warned AJK’s bureaucracy against collusion with corrupt politicians.

In response to a question, he said he had already been of the view that revenue collection (taxation) should be done by the AJK government itself but he was not in favour of the dissolution of the AJK council.

“The council is a source of coordination with the federal government and that’s why we believe that the lacunae in the 13th amendment should be removed.”

The PTI chief dismissed rumours regarding lowering of AJK’s status as “figment of imagination”.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2020