Policy gears: AJK minister hints at delays in local body polls
Raja Nisar Ahmad Khan speaks about austerity policies of PML-N-led state govt
PHOTO: AFP
MUZAFFARABAD:
The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has in principle decided to hold local body elections in the valley by May next year, later than previously stated.
“The [AJK] government is sincerely working on holding local bodies elections between December and May 2017,” Senior minister Raja Nisar Ahmad Khan told The Express Tribune last week.
This, however, is much later than a date which the region’s prime minister Raja Farooq Haider had cited earlier in August. Addressing a ceremony in Mirpur just weeks after being elected, Haider had reportedly said that local body elections would be held in December.
The minister, however, suggested that the government may initiate preparatory work for the elections in December.
Khan, who holds the portfolio of law along with electricity, justice, human rights and parliamentary affairs, said that the incumbent government was also aiming for greater autonomy especially in things such as appointing judges of the superior judiciary, election commissions and even collecting their own taxes.
For this purpose, he said that they would need to strengthen the Interim Act of 1974 -- the de-facto constitution of AJK.
Austerity
Talking about the policy outlook of the incumbent government, Khan suggested that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led (PML-N) government was looking at adopting greater austerity.
As part of this outlook, the government was reviewing its transportation policy which would stop officials from misusing their government-provided vehicles.
Hinting at rationalising allocation of official vehicles for only certain government officials above specific grades, he said that under the new policy, only ‘entitled government employees’ will get vehicles.
Asked about the dire financial situation of the valley which has reached its overdraft limit with the State Bank of Pakistan, he said they would be approaching Islamabad to help them.
“We will send a letter to Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif very soon to release funds as our overdraft has crossed the Rs20 billion limit and the [AJK] government has to pay Rs400 million as markup every year to the State Bank of Pakistan on the overdraft,” he said. Explaining the dire need for funds, he said that the valley immediately required Rs20 billion to meet deadlines of their ongoing development projects.
“We are in contact with federal government to manage the money and to complete all these projects without any delay, he said, adding that around 30 schemes introduced by the previous government had now turned into major liabilities for the new administration.
Talking about the 104 policemen who were released from service after their contracts ended, the minister stated matter-of-factly that when an employee completes his contract, he should go home rather than come on to the streets to protest, “Which is unacceptable”.
“Any protest in police uniform is a bid to take the law into one’s own hands when they are not even employees of the police department any more,” Khan asserted.
Improving education
While Khan does not hold the portfolio of education, he said that it was unfortunate that three medical colleges had been established in the state without due prior planning and that their budgets were managed through the AJK development budget, which is unfortunate.
“How we can perform when 95 per cent of our budget is spent on salaries and pensions,” he said before accusing the previous Pakistan Peoples Party-led government of misusing resources.
He accused the PPP-led government of launching education packages just to gain political mileage just by accommodating party workers and supporters.
“In the present financial circumstances we can’t implement the educational package,” he said.
However, Khan was quick not to dismiss the programme, asserting that the incumbent government will not suspend this programme.
He said the PML-N government in AJK has a one-point agenda — to put all institutions in order and introduce a meritocracy.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2016.
The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has in principle decided to hold local body elections in the valley by May next year, later than previously stated.
“The [AJK] government is sincerely working on holding local bodies elections between December and May 2017,” Senior minister Raja Nisar Ahmad Khan told The Express Tribune last week.
This, however, is much later than a date which the region’s prime minister Raja Farooq Haider had cited earlier in August. Addressing a ceremony in Mirpur just weeks after being elected, Haider had reportedly said that local body elections would be held in December.
The minister, however, suggested that the government may initiate preparatory work for the elections in December.
Khan, who holds the portfolio of law along with electricity, justice, human rights and parliamentary affairs, said that the incumbent government was also aiming for greater autonomy especially in things such as appointing judges of the superior judiciary, election commissions and even collecting their own taxes.
For this purpose, he said that they would need to strengthen the Interim Act of 1974 -- the de-facto constitution of AJK.
Austerity
Talking about the policy outlook of the incumbent government, Khan suggested that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led (PML-N) government was looking at adopting greater austerity.
As part of this outlook, the government was reviewing its transportation policy which would stop officials from misusing their government-provided vehicles.
Hinting at rationalising allocation of official vehicles for only certain government officials above specific grades, he said that under the new policy, only ‘entitled government employees’ will get vehicles.
Asked about the dire financial situation of the valley which has reached its overdraft limit with the State Bank of Pakistan, he said they would be approaching Islamabad to help them.
“We will send a letter to Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif very soon to release funds as our overdraft has crossed the Rs20 billion limit and the [AJK] government has to pay Rs400 million as markup every year to the State Bank of Pakistan on the overdraft,” he said. Explaining the dire need for funds, he said that the valley immediately required Rs20 billion to meet deadlines of their ongoing development projects.
“We are in contact with federal government to manage the money and to complete all these projects without any delay, he said, adding that around 30 schemes introduced by the previous government had now turned into major liabilities for the new administration.
Talking about the 104 policemen who were released from service after their contracts ended, the minister stated matter-of-factly that when an employee completes his contract, he should go home rather than come on to the streets to protest, “Which is unacceptable”.
“Any protest in police uniform is a bid to take the law into one’s own hands when they are not even employees of the police department any more,” Khan asserted.
Improving education
While Khan does not hold the portfolio of education, he said that it was unfortunate that three medical colleges had been established in the state without due prior planning and that their budgets were managed through the AJK development budget, which is unfortunate.
“How we can perform when 95 per cent of our budget is spent on salaries and pensions,” he said before accusing the previous Pakistan Peoples Party-led government of misusing resources.
He accused the PPP-led government of launching education packages just to gain political mileage just by accommodating party workers and supporters.
“In the present financial circumstances we can’t implement the educational package,” he said.
However, Khan was quick not to dismiss the programme, asserting that the incumbent government will not suspend this programme.
He said the PML-N government in AJK has a one-point agenda — to put all institutions in order and introduce a meritocracy.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2016.