MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 21: The cold war between AJK President Raja Zulqarnain Khan and prime minister's adviser on planning and development Chaudhry Tariq Farooq seems to have intensified with a new bout of allegations and counter allegations from both sides on Friday.

The president and the adviser, who belong to the AJK's southernmost Bhimber district, are at daggers drawn since long. Mr Farooq was Muslim Conference candidate in July 2006 elections but Mr Khan, though associated with the same party, supported his rival candidate from People’s Muslim League, Chaudhry Anwaarul Haq, paving way for his defeat by 664 votes. In August 2006, Mr Khan was elected to the office of president by the ruling party while Mr Farooq was appointed by the prime minister as his adviser with the status of minister.

Lately, Mr Farooq had accused the president of “unduly meddling in official business and obstructing the development of district Bhimber.”

On Friday, a section of the vernacular press quoted the president as reacting to the utterances of the adviser.

“The prime minister should take notice if his adviser speaks against me. The PM should not have in the first place appointed a defeated person as his adviser,” the president was quoted as saying.

He made it clear that his responsibilities and jurisdiction were obvious and since he was an “open hearted person” the disgruntled ruling party people as well as opposition members were visiting him.

“I have never tried to become a party but I have always stressed reformation,” he said.

The president also said he was not receiving a single penny from the development budget of AJK and Rs30 million per year at his discretion were provided from the budget of AJK council.

When contacted for his response, Mr Farooq said if a defeated person could not be appointed as adviser then a defeated person should also not have been appointed as president.The adviser was referring to the defeat of Mr Khan at his hands in July 2001 general elections.

He alleged that the president had made ‘out of merit’ appointments in the Information Technology Board from among his supporters and tried to stop the recruitment of teachers through the accountability bureau.

“While the president seeks action against me from the prime minister, his son Ali Zulqarnain and the opposition MLA from Bhimber continuously pass rude comments against me and the prime minister at public meetings in his presence,” he said.

He said he had time and again informed the MC supreme head Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan and party president Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan that the conduct of Mr Khan was unbecoming of president but they had not taken any action.

He said he would welcome if the party leadership would take stock of president's complaints against him.

It may be mentioned that Bhimber district is represented in the assembly by three directly elected lawmakers and one female legislator elected against reserved seats. While Mr Haq stands by the president, the other three, two of them ministers, are in the camp of Mr Farooq.

“In fact, the president is impeding the development of Bhimber because he knows that the people will give its credit to the cabinet members,” Mr Farooq said.

He asked the president to tell the nation where he had spent the AJK council funds and if the earthquake-affected areas had also got any share from it.