PM thanks AJK people for support in polls

Prime Minister Imran Khan has thanked the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for voting for his party in Sunday’s election which helped the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf clinch at least 25 out of 45 general seats of the legislative assembly, as per the unofficial results.

“I want to thank the ppl [people] of AJK for placing their trust in the PTI through their votes which resulted in its electoral victory,” the premier said in a tweet from his official handle on Monday.

PM Imran expressed resolve that his party would focus on bringing the people of AJK out of poverty through his government’s flagship programmes — ‘Ehsaas and Kamayab Naujawan Programme’.

He also pledged that he will establish accountability and transparency in the regional government.

“I want to congratulate all our successful candidates. As ambassador for Kashmir, I will continue to raise my voice at all international forums including the UN to ensure the international community fulfils its commitment of self-determination to the Kashmiri people through UN-sponsored plebiscite,” he said in a follow-up tweet.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came in second with 11 seats while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bagged six seats in the elections.

According to unofficial results, the turnout was recorded at around 62%. More than 700 candidates from 32 political and religious parties contested for the 45 seats.

The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP) and the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJ&KMC) managed to bag one seat apiece, according to unofficial results.

Out of the eight reserved seats, five are for women and one each for religious scholars, technocrats, and overseas Kashmiris. The members for these seats are nominated after the elections.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran chaired a meeting on the political situation in Sindh, deciding to visit the province to spread the party’s political influence after his win in AJK.

According to sources, it was decided in the meeting that the fourth meeting of the Sindh Strategy Committee would be held in Islamabad next week.

The political and administrative influence of the federal government will be established in Sindh.
The meeting was chaired by the PM and was attended by federal ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and the Sindh governor.

It was decided in the meeting that important personalities in Sindh would be invited to join the PTI. Imran will also liaise with Sindh intellectuals, lawyers' organisations and civil society.

Meanwhile, Premier Imran chaired a meeting of essential commodity prices in which he directed the provincial governments to ensure reasonable prices of food items through tehsil and district administrations and competitive commissions as well as by taking action against profiteers and the mafia.

The PM directed the provincial chief secretaries to ensure action against officers showing negligence towards (high) prices.

Imran emphasised that the provision of essential commodities to the people at reasonable prices is the top priority of the government, stressing the need to make the existing cell for monitoring prices more active.

Earlier, in a meeting with Trade and Investment Adviser Abdul Razzaq Dawood, Imran welcomed the strengthening of trade relations with the Central Asian states, saying that Pakistan could become a trade corridor by providing sea access to the entire region.

During the meeting, Dawood briefed the prime minister on the progress of bilateral cooperation and trade agreements after his visit to Uzbekistan and the positive results from investors, the strategy for the expected visit to other Central Asian states, especially Tajikistan, and investment and trade.

The PM appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Commerce and Board of Investment to enhance trade relations with Central Asian states for the first time in history.