BAGH (AJK)   -   Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president and chief organiser Maryam Nawaz said Monday that the jour­ney of development, progress and develop­ment halted by the Pa­kistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2017 in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) would start again with the arrival of Muham­mad Nawaz Sharif.

Addressing a big PML-N rally in Bagh in connection with the election campaign of party candidate Mush­taq Minhas, she said in the coming days, not only PML-N leader Mu­hammad Nawaz Shar­if would win the elec­tions in the AJK but also in Pakistan. 

She said Nawaz Shar­if always pursued the agenda of progress, prosperity and devel­opment in Pakistan and Kashmir whenever he came into power. Be­sides giving a road net­work, health and ed­ucation facilities and a strong economy, he also disbursed Rs 100 billion for the develop­ment projects for AJK during his previous government tenure. 

The PML-N leader said development in the Azad Jammu & Kash­mir was ensured by the PML-N leadership as all the allocated funds were utilized without any corruption. The de­velopment works car­ried out by Nawaz Shar­if were visible across the Azad Jammu & Kashmir, she added. Maryam asked the masses to vote for the PML-N candidate in the Bagh area. “Voting for the PML-N means voting for development, prog­ress and prosperity,” she add­ed. She paid tribute to the people of Bagh for attend­ing the gathering in a large number. She said she was the daughter of Kashmir and bound in blood relation with its people.

She also paid tribute to the martyrs of the land who sac­rificed their lives in the line of duty to protect every inch of the motherland. “Every home in the Kashmir has a unique story of martyrdom of their loved ones, who sacrificed their present for a brighter future of the country’s com­ing generations,” she added.

Maryam Nawaz said all cit­izens of Pakistan and AJK ac­knowledged and paid trib­ute to the army personnel for safeguarding the frontiers of the country. “Army personnel are performing their duties at the height of the mountains to protect their countrymen. We pay salute and tribute to the martyrs of both Pakistan and Kashmir.” 

Commenting of the May 9 incidents, the PML-N vice president said the nation would never forget those el­ements who disrespected monuments and memori­als of national pride and in­stallation of security depart­ments, adding they would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

She said those who had dis­respected the martyrs and put symbols of their bravery and courage on fire could not be regarded as Pakistanis any­more. The rioters even broke the fighter jets of 1965 war which was tantamount of at­tacking the pride of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) attained by defeating the enemy in the air war, she regretted.

Maryam said Pakistanis de­spite having differences of opinion could not imagine burning Pakistan’s public and defence installations. 

She said the May 9 incidents had hurt the sentiments of martyrs’ families, and brought embarrassment both at na­tional and international lev­els. “We cannot dare to face the families of martyrs due to the incident of May 9.” Maryam Nawaz, without taking any­one’s name, said that the per­son who was behind all the destruction of May 9 was also responsible for compromising on the issue of Kashmir. “The nation will never forgive him and make him an example for others,” she added. She said only one person was behind all the destruction, putting on fire the public and defence in­stallations, fanning the politics of hate and division.

The PML-N leader al­leged that the Pakistan Teh­reek-e-Insaf (PTI) govern­ment was installed in the AJK by rigging the polls and “today the PTI is not seen anywhere in Kashmir.” She said the par­ty of a person who claimed to end the politics of PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif was now facing its own disintegration and had been divided into many groups. 

Maryam said the former AJK prime minister had disclosed that the May 9 incidents were planned by PTI Chairman Im­ran Khan. She said the PML-N always played a central role in the progress, prosperity and development of Azad Jammu & Kashmir.