MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan said the AJK government is determined to achieve the goal of economic self reliance by exploring new avenues of financial resources and completing projects of national importance.

He expressed these views while addressing officials of the AJK Planning and Development Department after a briefing on important development projects in AJK.

The briefing was given by Additional Chief Secretary-Development Dr Syed Asif Hussain.

The president said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, the government was not only resolute to put the state on the path of progress and but also wanted to help Pakistan by achieving benchmarks in infrastructure development, tourism, health and education.

“It is a matter of great pride that AJK is far ahead of other provinces of Pakistan in terms of literacy rate even with inadequate infrastructure and an unfavourable learning environment,” he said.

“We are endeavouring our best to improve the requisite infrastructure by providing educational facilities and enhancing the quality of education,” he added.

He said many of the doctors, engineers and IT experts from AJK were not only serving in Pakistan but also in different parts of the world.

He said that many developed countries were willing to provide help for the development of primary and elementary education, tourism and energy sectors.

Earlier briefing the president about important development goals, Mr Hussain said that the major chunk of our development budget was being spent on improvement, rehabilitation and construction of major roads.

He said these included inter-district roads and those linking AJK with Pakistan to bring the remote areas of the state on a par with the urban developed areas and to provide best travelling facilities to the commuters in AJK.

After communications and roads, development of health and education sectors are among the top priorities of the government, added and that there is great potential to develop tourism and hydropower generation in AJK.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2019