June 30, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 3, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 29: The Jammu Kashmir Pakistan Muslim League (JK PML) alliance on Thursday launched its election manifesto promising various relief measures for the quake survivors. The alliance also includes Jammu Kashmir Muslim League led by Major General (R) Muhammad Hayat Khan and Jammu Kashmir Liberation League headed by Chief Justice (R) Abdul Majid Malik.

Unveiling the manifesto at a crowded press conference the Convenor of JK PML and former AJK Prime Minister Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry said the residents of affected areas would be exempted from the payment of six-month utility bills. He said the government loans payable against the people in quake-hit areas would be written off.

He said necessary legislation would be made to ensure the quality of reconstruction of hospitals, educational institutions and government buildings in line with the building codes developed in accordance with the seismic survey reports. Legal action would be taken against the people involved in negative activities during the reconstruction process.

He said the suspended local bodies system in the state would be reactivated, the number of seats in AJK Legislative Assembly and AJK Council including those reserved for women would be increased, a new master plan for the development of azad kashmir would be developed and administrative reforms would be introduced to improve performance of different government departments. Rules of business would also be amended to improve government’s performance.

Barrister Sultan termed Kashmir liberation movement as the top most priority of the alliance and said all possible steps would be taken in consultation with the APHC, militant organizations and other institutions which could help lead the movement to its logical conclusion.

He said ministry of overseas Kashmiris would be established to fully benefit from the capabilities of the Kashmiri expatriates. He said steps would be taken to provide an opportunity to the Kashmiri expatriate to cast their votes in the countries they are settled in.

He said all bottlenecks in the way of establishment of a TV station in Azad Kashmir would be removed. Steps would also be taken to benefit the Kashmiri people living on the other side of the divide to benefit from the FM radio stations in Azad Kashmir.

He said new airports would be constructed in Mirpur and Kotli and the airports in Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot would be upgraded.

He said President General Pervez Musharraf had ordered establishment of a dry port in Azad Kashmir, but it could not materialise because of the lack of interest on the part of Muslim Conference government. He said the impediments in the way of setting up the dry port would be removed.