MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 7: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Mohammad Anwar Khan has authorized the ambassador of Pakistan to Philippines to sign and execute an agreement with the Asian Development Bank on behalf of the AJK government regarding the ADB funded Multi Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement project, a notification issued here on Friday said.

Usually, the secretary of the department concerned signs an agreement on behalf of the government. However, since the signing of the aforementioned agreement was to take place at the ADB headquarters in Manila, the AJK government decided to assign the task to Pakistani ambassador there in order to save time and money, an official told Dawn.

The total cost of the project is $76 million, of which Rs57 million would be provided by the ADB while the rest would be arranged by the AJK government.

Work on the project would commence after its approval by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council, likely to be accorded in a few weeks.