MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on Sunday directed official machinery to ensure free and fair by-election in Mirpur.

“We will not only follow the code of conduct for the upcoming election ourselves but will also make sure that our opponents go by it as well,” he said.

Mr Haider, who also heads the AJK chapter of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was speaking to leaders and workers of his party after reviewing the campaign strategy of the party nominee at Mangla rest house.

AJK ministers Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed and Sardar Farooq Ahmed Tahir were also present.

The city of Mirpur was rendered without a public representative on Sept 25 after the AJK Supreme Court disqualified minister for sports, youth and culture Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed from being member of the Legislative Assembly.

A novice in electoral politics, Mr Saeed had created an upset in July 2016 polls by defeating the otherwise formidable opponent - Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) regional president Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry.

Following his disqualification, the PML-N awarded its ticket to his son Chaudhry Sohaib Saeed who would face the PTI leader in the by-election on Nov 24.

The PPP has also thrown its weight behind the PML-N under, what its leadership recently claimed, an agreement between the PPP and PML-N leadership whereby in the event of a by-election in any constituency the party which had clinched victory in general elections would be supported by the other.

Mr Haider asserted at the meeting that over the past three and a half years the PML-N government in AJK had served the people to the maximum possible level.

“We established a merit-based system in AJK, appointed teachers through National Testing Services, reformed and restructured the Public Service Commission, launched free medical emergency services in all 10 district headquarters hospitals among a series of welfare oriented and reforms driven measures,” he said.

Regarding Mirpur, Mr Haider said the PML-N government had “sorted out many of the longstanding issues of the city in addition to safeguarding its resources.”

He added: “Mirpur is my city and its inhabitants should make a right choice in the upcoming by-election by returning the PML-N nominee for accomplishment of the unfinished agenda of development.”

Talking about the “special treatment” that he said former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif had extended to AJK and its people during his rule, he called upon the PML-N workers to “move heaven and earth to win this seat and thus send a heart-warming message to their ailing leader (Nawaz Sharif).”

He made it clear that all those party workers who had been adjusted against discretionary official and political positions would have to perform in the by-election.

“Everyone has to give results... I am sure everyone is already doing his stuff to reclaim victory in this constituency.”

He warned that workers found violating party discipline would have to face the music.

Meanwhile, Ms Naheed Tariq, a former AJK minister from Mirpur city, met Mr Haider at the Mangla rest house and announced to support the PML-N candidate.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019