MIRPUR (AJK)-AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan has said that there are more avenues to expand benefits of the recently-made 13th amendment in Act-1974 the interim constitution of Azad Jammu Kashmir, for due empowerment of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“There are possibilities to bring about more improvement to the 13th amendment - but no chance to reverse the recently made much-needed amendment”, the AJK Prime Minister asserted in an exclusive interview to this Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao at Jammu Kashmir House here the other day.
“The passage of the historic constitutional reform package through the 13th Amendment will provide legislative, administrative and financial powers to Azad government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir besides leading to the open of new vistas of speedy progress and prosperity of the state”, Farooq Haider said.
Ehsan Khalid Kiyani, Principal Secretary to AJK Prime Minister and Raja Muhammad Waseem Khan, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister were also present on the occasion.
The seasoned Kashmiri journalist and analyst felicitated the AJK Prime Minister on the successful passage of 13th amendment relating to the AJK Council Reforms.
The AJK PM underlined, on this occasion, the administrative measures being exercised by the government as a result of the 13th amendment to help streamline governance and promote better service delivery to the people of AJK. He said that the entire AJK government administrative machinery would be accelerated towards effective and due utilization of additional financial resources for the speedy progress and socioeconomic progress of the state.
Describing the 13th AJK Constitutional Amendment as people-friendly, Mr Haider further said that AJK government and the Legislative Assembly have become more powerful after the amendment.
He pointed out that several articles incorporated in the 13th amendment are based on the recommendations and proposals of the committee constituted by the previous AJK Legislative Assembly. “AJK government will be more powerful as a result of the 13th amendment - which is appreciable as a whole”, he stated.
Highlighting priorities of his government for changing the life of the common man for better, the AJK PM said that amongst other development initiatives, it is also imperative to promote tourism and industry with prime focus to create job opportunities for educated and skilled youth to overcome unemployment, which, he added, is the top priority of the incumbent government.
Farooq Haider stated that after the 13th constitutional amendment, only AJK government is authorized to realize all kind of public levies including the income tax in the AJK.
Farooq Haider said that the AJK government is determined to take concrete steps to modernize tourism and turn it into a formal industry - since AJK is enriched with huge natural potential of tourism and hydro power generation in the scenic region. “Under an integrated tourism uplift plan in the state, the government will focus to establish modern accommodations with requisite infrastructural facilities, harmonious to the need of the modern age including the construction of theme parks, adventure parks and motels to attract maximum of tourists in the picturesque region,” he informed.