MUZAFFARABAD - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday announced its manifesto for the general election 2016 of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) scheduled to be held on July 21.

Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid announced the manifesto here at a news conference along with Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Affairs Dr Asif Kirmani, Chairman Manifesto Committee former Chief Justice Manzoor Hussain Gilani, PML-N AJK-chapter President Raja Farooq Haider, deputy mayors of Islamabad Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi and Rifat Javed and other party leaders.

Pervaiz Rashid said the manifesto had been compiled by a team of experts keeping in view all requirements of AJK and assured that the PML-N would fulfill each and every word mentioned in the development agenda.

He said the manifesto committee was formed by Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as president of the PML-N who appointed former Chief Justice Manzoor Hussain Gilani as head of the manifesto body.

After winning the election, he said, the PML-N would turn AJK into an ideal state by introducing reforms in different sectors including education, health, infrastructure, human rights, administrative and judicial institutions.

Under the manifesto, the party has committed to spend an additional amount of Rs 50 billion on AJK roads and other infrastructure’s rehabilitation in five years, besides the annual development budgetary allocations.

The PML-N would construct Mirpur-Muzaffarabad Expressway and Leepa valley Tunnel, upgrade existing hospitals by setting up new trauma centers and build modern DHQ hospitals at the district level.

Five air ambulances, Sui gas to Mirpur and its adjoining areas and opening of Sui gas office have also been promised.

A parliamentary committee will be constituted to resolve problems of the affected people of Mangla Dam followed by the announcement of a package by the Prime Minister of Pakistan on its recommendations.

A university in district Sadhnoti, agriculture university in district Bhimber, upgradation of Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences and beautification of Muzaffarabad also feature the manifesto.

Pervaiz Rashid said it was the hallmark of the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif that whenever his party came into power, it launched mega development projects across the country.

He said that all development projects including electricity, natural gas, motorways, health, education, water projects, self-reliance in national defence, foreign investment, decent public transport, ports and roads across Pakistan, were witness to the development agenda of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

“From Peshawar to Lahore and Gwadar to Khunjrab, all highway projects have been envisioned and built by Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

Now, Pervaiz Rashid said, a motorway was being built from Lahore to Karachi and the credit for which went to none other than Nawaz Sharif.

“Development and progress is identity of the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif. The PML-N has the track record to set new examples of development in Pakistan,” he added.

He said other political parties or individuals, who had ruled for even up to 10 years in the country, had failed to expand the mega projects like motorway that had been completed by the PML-N in 1998.

Pervaiz Rashid recalled that when the elected government of PML-N was ousted in 1999, Pakistan had surplus electricity and India was desiring to import it. But, when the PML-N again came into power in 2013, the previous governments of dictator Pervaiz Musharraf and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had pushed the country into darkness because of their failure to add even a single megawatt of electricity to the system.

He expressed confidence that the power projects initiated by the PML-N government would be completed by the year 2017, adding that all possible means of power generation including solar, coal, atomic and hydro were being explored to improve the energy situation in the country.

“All the means of power generation, being practiced in the modern word, are being utilized to meet the country’s energy needs,” he added.

The Information Minister said after coming into power, the PML-N would bring AJK at par with developed cities of Pakistan, which were competing at international level due to their progress and development.

“The PML-N’s manifesto for AJK is not mere words, it will be implemented in letter and spirit, as the people are witnessing the same being fulfilled in Pakistan,” he said.

Pervaiz Rashid said PML-N’s adversaries including PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had not announced their party manifestos yet for the AJK elections, obviously because they had no development vision to share with the public.

He said despite not being in the AJK government, the PML-N served the humanity suffering from floods and quakes, saying that Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif himself visited the affected areas to mitigate miseries of the people.

The minister said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari just criticized the PML-N for nothing but he cannot dare to claim any development project executed by his party-led government in the valley during last five years.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Pervaiz Rashid paid tribute to late Abdul Sattar Edhi for his meritorious services in the field of social work. About the PTI, he said the party failed to launch any development model in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which they could commit for replicating in AJK as well.

The PML-N, he said, believed in serving the people like the legendary Edhi and it always provided best education, health, road infrastructure facilities besides increased employment opportunities to the common man.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Barjees Tahir said under the Public Sector Development Programme, the federal government had given Rs 13 billion to the AJK government, while, it would spent Rs 10 billion annually for the development of AJK.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also given funds for Mirpur and Muzaffarabad medical colleges.

He said many mega development projects including construction of motorway and railway links had been announced by the PML-N government in AJK in its manifesto.

Barjees Tahir said in the next five years, Rs 50 billion would be spent on construction of roads and infrastructure rehabilitation in Kashmir.

He said ambulance service of helicopters will be started in Azad Kashmir to facilitate the patients of the far flung and hilly areas.

He said when the matter of allocating more water for AJK was raised in the Council of Common Interests (CCI), the AJK PM and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah had opposed the move. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif allocated more water for AJK through executive order.

The minister said Rs 21 billion revenue of AJK government had decreased during last five years and the government is running its affairs on over draft.

He said voting in favour of the PML-N in upcoming elections would change the destiny of Azad Kashmir as the party had planned to undertake massive development projects in the region.

He expressed the confidence that PML-N would emerge victorious in the elections of AJK legislative assembly on July 21.

He said that government had allowed the PPP government to function and when a no-confidence motion was brought against the AJK premier, the top PML-N leadership advised its AJK leaders to distance themselves from the motion.

“We want to bring change in AJK through power of vote and people’s verdict in the AJK election will be accepted” he added.

He said federal government had given Rs 97 billion to AJK government for development but not a single development project had been started by the PPP government in the valley.

He said on the request of AJK speaker, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had allocated Rs 2.5 billion for constructing a building for the AJK Parliament.

The minister said that amendments in 1974 AJK Act can be made keeping in view the present scenario.

He said the AJK prime minister himself is contesting the elections and deploying its own administration during the elections.

Barjees said that PPP government in AJK is involved in violence and making fake cases against PML-N workers.

He said PPP AJK government had not given development funds to opposition parties including PML-N members.

Chairman of the PML-N Manifesto Committee Manzoor Gilani said that record development work would be carried out by the party government in AJK.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Asif Kirmani said that election campaign of PPP is in front of everyone, adding that only few days have left for the polls and now it was trying to take benefit of the tragic incidents of Nakiyal, Bagh, Bhimber and Haveli.

He said that PPP is using bad tactics after apprehending its defeat in the elections.

Kirmani said it was the responsibility of the election commission of AJK to take appropriate measures for safety of the people.

PML-N’s AJK-chapter President Raja Farooq Haider said PPP did not work for welfare of the masses seriously.

He said after formation of the PML-N government in AJK, issues of Neelem and Jhelum and other will be solved amicably.

Farooq Haider said it was the responsibility of the federal government to provide every kind of assistance to election commission of AJK for holding of free, fair and transparent election.

He asked the PPP government in AJK to take notice of violence against PML-N workers, adding that the AJK ministers are using government resources in the election campaign.

He said PML-N leadership had never used misappropriate language against PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and he should reciprocate.