MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) cabinet on Wednesday decided to fill the vacant post in grade 16 and above in institutions previously administered by the AJK Council through the AJK Public Service Commission.

The decision was taken after the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, was told that numerous gazette posts in Inland Revenue Department, Accountant General and Audit Ofice, which stood transferred to the AJK government from the AJK council after the passage of 13th Constitutional Amendment in June last year, were lying vacant.

The cabinet meeting was held amid an air of confusion about the fate of Mr Haider in the wake of alleged covert and overt attempts by some lawmakers from the ruling PML-N and opposition PTI and Muslim Conference to bring about a change in AJK.

The cabinet meeting, according to an official press release, was attended by all but two of 26 ministers. The absentees - senior minister for physical planning and housing Chaudhry Tariq Farooq and Zakat and Ushar Chaudhry Yasin Gulshan – were respectively abroad and unwell, it said.

The press release claimed that the cabinet expressed complete confidence in the leadership of prime minister Haider terming the past three years of his rule as a “golden era” that saw “institutions reformed, merit based recruitment system introduced and budget doubled” among other positive steps.

Regarding other decisions, the press release added that the cabinet agreed to do comprehensive legislation to introduce a uniform system in all public sector universities in AJK, on the pattern of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The AJK president, who happens to be the chancellor of the public sector varsities, would also be consulted in this regard, it was decided.

The cabinet decided not to curtail grant-in-aid of development authorities including the [previously profitable] Mirpur Development Authority as they were unable to meet their day to day expenses.

The cabinet agreed to make ‘fit and proper test’ criterion of the State Bank of Pakistan mandatory for appointment as president of the public sector Bank of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (BoAJK), with a view to pushing it towards the path of recognition [by SBP] as a scheduled bank.

The cabinet approved a proposal by the tourism and archaeology department to ink an agreement with a Lahore-based firm for the conservation and restoration of historic Muzaffarabad Fort.

The cabinet was told that a project worth Rs70 million had already been approved by the competent forum for the said conservation and restoration.

The cabinet also approved a law whereby minister for hydropower generation was included as member and vice chairman of the executive board of Power Development Organisation.

The prime minister told the cabinet that “consultative process” for preparation of next fiscal year’s budget had been initiated and added that all stakeholders would be taken on board in this regard.

The cabinet also expressed serious concern over the flagrant human rights abuses in India-held Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2019