Anwar slams comparison of AJK, IIOJK situations

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq has said he is not concerned with what his political opponents think but what matters most to him is continuing his mission of serving the people of the state.

The AJK premier stated this while addressing a public gathering after laying the foundation stone for the construction of roads from Toli Peer Cross to Ali Sujal and Chora Gally Road in Rawalakot district of Poonch division late Sunday.

Anwar said it was an injustice and totally unjustified to compare the situation in AJK with that of the Indian-occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir, where essential fundamental freedoms and basic human rights remain critically suppressed, and the entire Kashmiri political leadership remains incarcerated while a media blackout continues to stifle independent voices.

The premier stated that with regard to civil liberties there is no comparison between IIOJK and Azad Kashmir, where people enjoy full freedoms.

He continued that it was quite unfortunate that the problems faced by the people in this mountainous area had been overlooked in the past. "People have been deliberately kept backward," he said, adding that the present government cannot be held accountable for the wrongs of the past, but "we will do everything to solve the problems currently being faced by the people in the area".

"I am aware of the health problems here, so I am announcing a civil dispensary for the area," he said, adding that roads would be constructed across Poonch to improve connectivity.