MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muslim Conference (MC) – the two opposition groups in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly - on Wednesday announced that they had joined hands to play an effective and aggressive role to expose Peoples Party government’s “corruption and maladministration”.

The PML-N has 11 and MC has five legislators in the currently 48-member assembly, and the office of leader of the opposition is held by PML-N president Raja Farooq Haider.

“We will also mobilise the general public and all those political parties which do not have parliamentary representation to give a tough time to the government,” Mr Haider vowed at a press conference.

 He alleged that the government had not only destroyed AJK’s identity but also its administrative structure.

Mr Haider was flanked by over a dozen lawmakers from his PML-N and the MC at the press conference, addressed during a break in proceedings. The session has been requisitioned by both parties.

“If this government is spared any more, it will send the entire system packing,” he alleged.

Mr Haider remarked that while Indian-held Kashmir was having the governor’s rule, AJK was having ‘Riaz rule’.

The term ‘Riaz rule’ was coined by him to make a sarcastic reference to Chaudhry Riaz, a Faisalabad resident, appointed as senior adviser to the AJK premier. Mr Riaz, who is close to PPP leader Faryal Talpur, calls the shots in AJK on her behalf.

“These people are looting the resources of AJK with impunity,” Mr Haider said.

In response to a question, he maintained that the government of Pakistan was under an obligation to establish and ensure good governance in AJK.

He warned the lent officers – a term for the officials posted by the federal government in AJK – against “facilitating or silently observing” the corruption.

Speaking on the occasion, PML-N senior vice president and deputy opposition leader Chaudhry Tariq Farooq said the opposition would have recourse to the courts against the corruption of the AJK government.

It may be recalled that Prime Minister Majeed had thrown down a gauntlet to the opposition that if it had proof about the alleged corruption of his government it should go to the courts and the accountability bureau.

“Courts are fine, but as far as the accountability bureau is concerned everyone knows what’s its position,” Mr Farooq said.  

Mr Farooq who had earlier handed over a charge sheet against the alleged corruption of the government to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the opposition had exercised too much restraint, but the government was unwilling to mend ways.

“Our leader gave them new lease of life and that did not go well with us,” he said, recalling the time when Mr Sharif had stopped his party from supporting a no-trust move against the AJK premier.

He listed at least eight projects where he alleged huge corruption had been committed.

“The ministries of physical planning and housing, works and communications, health, revenue, local government and rural development, and power development are the main sources of corruption,” he alleged.

Mr Farooq asked the planning and development department to carry out monitoring of projects as well, instead of mere sanctions.

“We brought everything in the assembly but the government is not ready for accountability,” he said.

“A line has been drawn, those who are with corruption should stand by Mr Majeed and those who are against it should stand by us,” he said.

Published in Dawn January 22nd , 2015

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