ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan said here on Sunday that the local bodies elections in AJK would be held around April next year after modifying the law.

Talking to newsmen after an Iftar dinner at the Kashmir House he said that the law governing the local bodies in Pakistan would be modified to bring it in line with ground realities in Azad Kashmir.

He said that he would reshuffle his cabinet after Eidul Fitr.

He scotched rumours about his ill health. He said he had no personal differences with AJK President Mohammad Anwar. He said the AJK constitution delineated powers of the president and the prime minister and he was discharging his functions within its parameters.

Replying to a question, he said the Kashmir Committee had done a good job under Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan.

He said he could not say definitely whether the new National Assembly would constitute a new committee or would allow the present one to function.

Replying to a question about the Kashmir issue he said that now there was a greater level of realization worldwide to resolve this problem.

He said that the Kashmiris would not accept the Line of Control as permanent border. If Kashmiris now accepted the LoC, then there was no need of sacrificing some 80,000 lives in the freedom struggle, he added.

He said that if a third option on Kashmir was suggested at a forum like the UN, it could be considered.—APP