ISLAMABAD   -  Minister for Communications Murad Saeed Saturday expressed confidence that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) would win the elections of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), scheduled to be held on July 25, with a thumping due to the agenda of massive development and the public welfare schemes, it planned to execute after coming into power.

 “I thank hospitable and dignified people of AJK, who extended great love and affection for the ambassador of Kashmir Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party during the election campaign, and actively participated in the PTI’s campaign,” he said while addressing a news conference along with Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur here. After seeing the public enthusiasm in the PTI rallies from day one, he said it was like writing on the wall that the AJK people had announced their verdict in favour of PTI before the polls.

The minister said the survey reports also indicated that the PTI would succeed in the elections with a ‘heavy majority’ and start a new era of development, prosperity and poverty alleviation there. He said Maryam Safdar and Bilawal Zardari were just working to protect the corruption of their fathers as they had nothing to do with the development of AJK and the welfare of its people.

Murad Saeed recounted the PTI government’s performance it showed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after winning the general elections of 2013, on what basis it again won the polls in 2018. He said reforms in police and education sectors, the introduction of Sehat Insaf Cards, and promotion of tourism and infrastructure development were the measures that led the PTI to win the 2018 polls with a two-third majority in the KP province. He said the PTI went into the AJK election campaign with the manifesto of infrastructure development and tourism promotion, as it did in the KP and scenic northern areas, which would help improve the economy and create job opportunities, besides, a number of welfare schemes under the Ehsass programme for poverty alleviation and better health services. But contrary to it, he said, the PML-N and PPP leaders had nothing to share about their performance with the AJK people except criticizing the PTI government and its leadership.

The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan, after becoming the ambassador of Kashmir, had effectively highlighted the Kashmir cause at all international fora and the miseries of innocent people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) at the hands of brutal Indian forces. “The Prime Minister Imran Khan exposed Narendra Modi, his RSS ideology and Hindutwa philosophy.” He said it was unfortunate that the PML-N and PPP leaders, in their public rallies, did not talk about the Kashmir cause, Indian Prime Minister Modi, Hindutwa ideology and sufferings of people of IIOJ&K.  

Murad Saeed made it clear that in AJK, the elections were conducted under the sitting government, not by any interim setup like in Pakistan. Even though the PML-N government had complete control over all administration including election staff AJK, they wanted anarchy and were making hue and cry of rigging, he added.

Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Affairs Ali Amin Khan Gandapur Saturday said the federal government has provided all kind of support to AJK government to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said both the political parties Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have tried their best to spoil the election environment, but Pakistan Tahreek-e Insaf (PTI) thwarted all their efforts by keeping its party workers calm.  He cited the incident that took place when he along with Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed and other PTI leaders, was heading to a public gathering in connection with the upcoming elections in Azad Kashmir when some infuriated people pelted stones near Jhelum Valley. 

“We have decided not to respond to PML-N workers’ attempts to sabotage the general elections process as the whole democratic world is eying elections in the liberated territory,” he asserted.  He said he had informed the public before launching election campaign in AJK that the PML-N would promote Indian narrative in its public meeting addresses, adding  its vice-president Maryam Nawaz proved his saying by not uttering a single word against Modi’s tyranny and cruel measures in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).  Gandapur said PTI would form government after making a landslide victory in the general elections to the legislative assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. 

“We will secure performance based victory in AJK polls as the federal government had doubled the funds for development projects in the valley,” he said. 

The Kashmir Affairs Ministry, he said, had executed the development projects under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) that have been pending for the last over one decade.  He said the federal government had launched a project to build underground bunkers in around 57 villages for safety of local residents living near the Line of Control (LoC). 

Gandapur said his government has provided Sehat Insaf Cards to all residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while the scope of  Ehsaas Cash Emergency Programme was being extended across the valley to help poor and needy people.  The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan has internationalized the Kashmir cause by highlighting it at every international fora. 

He said the Prime Minister  being an ambassador of Kashmiris had presented their case of right of self-determination in the United Nations General Assembly in best possible manner.