MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly on Tuesday approved some additional privileges for the former prime ministers of the state, without any symbolic objection from a single member from the combined opposition.

According to the AJK Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, the former premiers who could avail themselves of the services of a driver cum gunman after the expiry of their unspecified term would now be entitled to have a clerk in BS-11, a driver and a gunman.

In addition to it, their house rent was also raised from Rs25,000 to Rs50,000 per month to bring it at a par with the rent admissible to the cabinet members.

There were hardly 25 lawmakers in attendance in the currently 47-member house including Shazia Akbar of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

However, Ms Akbar, who the PPP has returned for the third time against a reserved seat, did not raise even a symbolic objection when the treasury members suspended the relevant rule to put the piece of legislation directly to vote, instead of following the parliamentary practice of referring it to the house committee concerned.

Unlike anywhere in the country, AJK’s former prime ministers and presidents are also entitled to an officially provided brand new vehicle at the end of their term as well as 400litres of fuel per month or its cost.

The former AJK lawmakers are also entitled to a monthly pension, something which has no precedence elsewhere in the country.

Among other legislation, the house also approved “The Arbitration (Amendment) Act, 2021” and “The AJK Information Technology Board (Amendment) Act, 2018” in the same manner.

Earlier, the house offered Fateha for the deliverance of opposition MLA Sardar Saghir Chughtai, mother of opposition MLA Sardar Hassan Ibrahim and father of education minister Barrister Iftikhar Ali Gillani.

The house was prorogued to meet again on Wednesday, when the annual budget for 2021-22 will be presented by the AJK finance minister.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2021