President Zardari urges resolution of AJK issues through dialogue

ISLAMABAD: Following violent protests over the last 48 hours, President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday urged all the stakeholders to exercise restraint and resolve the issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) through dialogue and mutual consultation.

He stressed that the political parties, state institutions and the people of AJK should act responsibly so that hostile elements could not exploit the situation to their benefit.

President Zardari expressed these views during a meeting with a delegation of members of the AJK Legislative Assembly belonging to Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

The delegation briefed the president about recent happenings and unfortunate developments in Azad Kashmir.

Talking to members, the president highlighted that the demands of the people should be addressed as per law, adding that he would take up/discuss the grievances of the people with the Prime Minister of Pakistan to find a way out of the current situation.

He further emphasised that priority should be accorded to the socio-economic uplift of AJK, with special focus on the development of health, education, tourism and infrastructure.

He underlined the need to bring the far-flung areas at par with other developed areas of the country.

The president regretted the current situation and offered condolences over the unfortunate death of the police officer and prayed for swift recovery of all those who were injured in recent clashes.

Azad Kashmir witnessed violent clashes between the police and activists of a rights movement amid a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike across the territory, which left at least one police official dead and several others injured.

Sub-inspector Adnan Qureshi succumbed to a gunshot wound in the chest in the town of Islamgarh, where he was deployed to stop a rally for Muzaffarabad under the banner of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).

The JAAC, which has traders at the forefront in most parts of the state, has been seeking the provision of electricity as per hydropower generation cost in AJK, subsidised wheat flour and an end to the privileges of the elite class.

The violent protesters damaged multiple vehicles, including a magistrate’s car at the Poonch-Kotli road. Moreover, markets, trade centres, offices and schools and restaurants remained closed across the AJK.