MIRPUR (AJK)          -      The newly-elected PTI member of AJK Legislative Assembly Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry on Tuesday said that establishment of an international airport in Mirpur, a city of expatriates, the supply of natural gas to rest of the city and completion of worth billions of rupees under-construction Mirpur-Islamgarh Bridge are his top priorities.

“The dream of uplift of LA-3 Mirpur in particular and the entire area in general will be materialised as per pre-election commitment of the PTI.”

He revealed that he had talked to the top authorities concerned of the PTI-led government of Pakistan regarding the accomplishment of the much-awaited projects of the establishment of international airport, supply of sui gas to rest of the city and completion of Mirpur-Islamgarh bridge in the shortest possible timeframe.

Sultan, also the President of AJK chapter of PTI, was addressing his maiden press conference at PWD Rest House here after winning the November 24 by-election to vacant seat of AJK Legislative Assembly from his parent constituency LA-III (Mirpur city) against his rival candidate of the ruling PML-N.

He was flanked by dozens of his closest aides including Sardar Sawar Khan (former central Secretary General of his previous organization Azad Muslim Conference), Chief Organizer of the PTI AJK, Chaduhry Zaffar Anwar, Ch. Ansar Saarim, Ch. Mazhar Advocate, Chaudhry Muhammad Mansha, besides  hundreds of his supporters.

Sultan thanked the voters for electing him to the AJK Legislative Assembly by reposing confidence in his leadership with a thumping majority.

He continued that despite various hostile tactics of the governmental undue interference and abortive attempts on the part of the sitting ruling PML-N quarters, especially the Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and 6 to 7 numbers of his cabinet colleagues who remained physically present in the constituency with ulterior motives allegedly to rig the polls through different pretext, the electorates voted him and his PTI to make him successful in the election. He said that the induction of the sitting Deputy Commissioner of Mirpur Raja Tahir Mumtaz, the alleged close relative of the Prime Minister Farooq Haider, soon after the earthquake and just before the election process was one of evidence of the ruling clique to make the ruling party’s candidate successful, he blamed.

Sultan Mahmood said that since the seat had fallen vacant following disqualification of the MLA from the area Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed in a contempt of court case by the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu Kashmir, he had not filed a writ petition against his rival at any stage - “as I had focused on to fight for the forthcoming AJK General elections to the State Legislative Assembly due to be held in 2021”, he elaborated.

The PTI leader also accused the AJK government of doing nothing for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the quake-hit Mirpur which suffered the loss of billions of rupees to the local private and public property as a result of the devastating September 24 earthquake. He assured to play due role as the elected member from the area to get due rehabilitation process started by the AJK government.