MUZAFFARABAD: Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister and PTI’s regional president Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi on Sunday called for the immediate resignation of the sitting AJK premier Chaudhry Anwarul Haq followed by the announcement of fresh general elections in the state.

Speaking at a press conference along with PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hassan at the Islamabad residence of a party leader, Mr Niazi alleged that the “puppet regime which was imposed on the people of Azad Kashmir through a conspiracy in April 2023 had compounded public miseries manifold over the past one year by ousting the well-performing PTI government in the region.”

“Since the new imposed model in AJK has failed to deliver because of being bereft of public support, the region direly needs a strong and public mandated government to take prompt decisions to address the fast worsening situation in the region,” he said.

Calling for immediate release of Imran Khan, he asserted that only the PTI founding chairman could put the country out of the prevailing myriad challenges and fight the case of Palestine and Kashmir effectively and emphatically at all international forums.

Mr Niazi also demanded that the death of a police inspector in Mirpur should be probed impartially and its report made public.

Meanwhile, on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a delegation of the AJK chapter of PML-N held a meeting in Islamabad with Minister of Kashmir Affairs Engr Amir Muqam to discuss in detail the prevailing situation in Azad Kashmir.

Those in attendance were PML-N regional president Shah Ghulam Qadir, former AJK premier Raja Farooq Haider, regional secretary general Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, vice presidents Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz and Dr Najeeb Naqi, deputy general secretary Abdul Khaliq Wasi and secretary information Barrister Iftikhar Gillani.

None of the PML-N legislators, who are part of Mr Haq-led cabinet, were invited at the meeting.

“We consider the problems of Kashmiris as that of our own and will play a positive role in whatever way we can,” Mr Muqam was quoted in a press release as saying on the occasion.

He stressed that the PML-N AJK chapter should play a vibrant role to defuse the situation in Azad Kashmir. In response, the regional leadership unanimously responded that they would play its role in addressing the situation through negotiations with the action committee members, the press release said.

Separately, the parliamentary party of the PPP in AJK Assembly also held an extensive meeting at the Islamabad residence of regional president Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin to discuss the prevailing situation and the party’s course of action.

Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, party’s regional secretary general, toldDawnthat the meeting had resolved to leave no stone unturned to get the problems faced by the public resolved with a missionary zeal.

Later, the PPP parliamentary party had also held a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari late in the evening.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2024