27 February 2005	Sunday	17 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD Feb 26: Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has said the next session of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council will be held next month.

In a statement issued here, he said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was deeply interested in making the AJK Council a viable institution and summoning of the council session was reflective of his commitment.

He said the prime minister had promised in the previous session of the council in September last that in future there would be at least two sessions of AJK Council in a year.

The minister said by holding at least two sessions of the council in a year, the council would become active and its relationship with the people of Azad Kashmir would strengthen.

He said the implementation report on the decisions of the last council session would be presented in the forthcoming session.-APP

Meanwhile, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on Friday said situation in Northern Areas was improving.

He was talking to a delegation led by Sirajul Haq, Senior Minister of NWFP which called on him at his chamber in the Parliament House.

Sardar Shahjehan Yusuf, the parliamentary secretary, MNA Hanif Abbasi were also present in the meeting.

The minister said he had summoned a special session of Northern Areas Legislative Council on February 28 in Islamabad wherein restoration of normalcy in Northern Areas would be discussed.

The minister vowed that interests of trader community of Gilgit would be kept in view and maximum possible compensation would be given to them after assessing the rain losses.

Sirajul Haq assured full cooperation of his government and the people of NWFP for restoring peace in Northern Areas.

He said all the people living in Northern Areas wanted to live in a spirit of brotherhood and they would defeat the evil designs of the enemies.