AJK PM says land preservation act enforced in AJK

Azad Jammu Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan has said that land preservation act has been promulgated under which agricultural land could not be used for any non-agricultural purposes in Azad Jammu Kashmir in the future.

While addressing a briefing session arranged by the Agriculture Department here Wednesday, the PM said that the department of agriculture has been badly ignored for the past several years. Referring to previous governments’ negligence towards the development of agriculture and livestock, the PM said, this negligence had rendered most productive and fertile agricultural lands barren today.

“Had they focussed on developing both the sectors, Azad Kashmir would have achieved self-sufficiency in food commodities”, the PM said, adding that it was high time that the department of agriculture and livestock should improve their performance and devote their energies to making it a success.

The Prime Minister said that economic development and prosperity were directly linked to agricultural development. On this occasion, Physical Planning and Housing Minister Chaudhry Yasir Sultan, Food Minister Chaudhry Ali Shan Soni, Education Minister Dewan Ali Chaghtai, Secretary Agriculture Livestock and Irrigation Sardar Javed Ayub, Commissioner Chaudhry Shaukat Ali and officials of Department of Agriculture and Livestock were present.

The PM was earlier briefed of the efforts being made by the Agriculture Department to promote agriculture and livestock in the state.