MUZAFFARABAD: The recently elected heads and deputy heads of the local government (LG) institutions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) took oath on Monday following which many of them assumed their respective charge while others decided to put it off until Tuesday.

The oath was administered to the chairmen and vice chairmen of district councils, municipal committees, town committees and union councils and mayors and deputy mayors of municipal corporations by the respective district and session judges at the headquarters of all ten districts.

A large number of supporters of the elected LG leaders were also present on the occasion.

LG elections in AJK were held in November and December last year in three phases.

Polling for the reserved seats was held in the first week of February and polling for election of the heads and deputy heads of the LG institutions was held on March 2, marking the final stage of the process.

Since 1995, when the fresh LG elections had become due in AJK, the LG institutions had mostly been headed by the leaders of the ruling party of the day as ‘administrators.’

In between, the charge of these institutions was also held by the district administration officers.

Unlike its predecessors, the present PTI government had however not avoided appointing its activists as heads of LG institutions,as it had seriously pledged to hold LG polls.

The charge of these institutions was therefore being held by the district and tehsil administration officers.

In state capital Muzaffarabad, while Imtiaz Abbasi, chairman of the district council who belongs to the ruling PTI, assumed charge after he made entry in his cramped office in districtheadquarters complex in the company of his friends and supporters, mayor municipal corporationSikandar Nisar Gillani, who belongs to opposition PML-N, decided to formally assume office on Tuesday.

On Monday afternoon, Mr Gillani did arrive in the civic body’s office in the heart of citybut only for a short duration for handing and taking charge from administrator/deputy commissioner Raja Tahir Mumtaz.

“We will mark the Mayor’s maiden appearance in office [on Tuesday] with fanfare,” a PML-N activist said.

Extending felicitations to all those who took oath on Monday, AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas expressed the hope that they would utilise their full potential to discharge their duties for the betterment of the public at large.

“Heartiest Congrats to all heads of LG institutions on taking oath of their respective offices earlier today.

“I hope they’ll utilise their full abilities & energies to serve the masses. My government, which has [the] credit of holding LG polls after 32 years, will extend them full cooperation,” he tweeted in the evening.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2023