Islamabad warned against meddling in AJK

MUZAFFARABAD, March 22: The PML-N has once again warned the Pakistan People's Party led central government about “unrest and law and order problem” in Azad Jammu and Kashmir if the alleged interference by federal ministers in the region does not stop.

“Let it be very clear that if the federal ministers do not stop meddling we will block their entry in AJK and if that leads to unrest and law and order problems its responsibility will rest on the shoulders of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani,” said PML-N AJK chapter chief organizer Raja Farooq Haider at a press conference here.

The former AJK premier also asked the “institutions responsible for national security” to take stock of this issue.

“The election drama of 2006 staged by Gen Nadeem (Taj) and Brigadier Ghazanafar (of Military Intelligence) cannot be repeated in 2011. We have to and we will stop it,” he said, referring to the widely prevailing allegations that MI had manipulated 2006 polls in AJK, under the directions of the then military ruler Pervez Musharraf, to bring Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan and his Muslim Conference to power.

Apart from the interference of federal government functionaries, Mr Haider alleged, the AJK government was also abusing the resources of state to influence the upcoming polls.

He called upon the mainstream Pakistani media to give more space and time to AJK affairs, so that the people of Pakistan could know that in which circumstances election was being held in this sensitive region.

“All we want is that Pakistan should not blot its copybook by interfering in our election like India uses to do in occupied Kashmir,” he said.

He said the PML-N had decided that neither the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif nor any of his cabinet members would take part in their party’s election campaign in AJK.

“Similarly, we would not like to see any federal government functionary taking part in campaign of Peoples Party in AJK. And if they came, responsibility of any untoward incident will rest on the shoulders of the federal government,” he said.

However, he added, the PPP office bearers who did not hold any official position, such as Bilawal Zardari, Jahangir Badr and Faryal Talpur, were welcome to participate or run the campaign of their candidates here.

Responding questions, he said the PML-N had full faith in the integrity and competence of chief election commissioner Khawaja Mohammad Saeed but it was a fact that the CEC was dependent on administration to conduct free and fair election.

The PML-N, he said, was preparing its suggestions and recommendations for the election commission for free and fair polls.

“Among other things, we want the commission to restrict the expenditures on electioneering to a certain limit so that not-so-rich political workers can also contest election,” he said.

Mr Haider said he did not believe in self praise but it was a fact that he had forcefully raised the issue of the rights of AJK people while being in government, “something the politicians would normally do either before coming to or after quitting power.”

“Our interim constitution needs amendments to do away with some contradictions and overlapping in it, he said, adding, he had also told the top leadership of his party that it will have to address the concerns of AJK after forming government in Pakistan.

About the date of election, he said it should be held in time and there should not be any ambiguity in this regard.

“Whatever is to be done must be done in accordance with this book so as to ensure the sanctity of process,” he said, waving a copy of the constitution.

He told a questioner that AJK was not a constitutional but de facto part of Pakistan and under the UNCIP resolutions Islamabad was responsible to ensure good governance in this region.

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An ‘ever green’ AJK minister redefines loyalty in modern times

Change of loyalties under one or the other pretext by legislators is not an unusual thing in our land of the pure, but hardly anyone would have spotted lawmakers resorting to this practice for at least four times in a short span of five years.

Though many of the 48 AJK Legislative Assembly members are alleged to have set unprecedented records of treacheries and perfidies without any recession, three of them however carry the “unique distinction” of being cabinet members in all four governments that replaced each other in five years.

And of these three, Col (retired) Raja Mohammad Nasim, minister for communication and works (C&W), has not even seen the change of his coveted portfolio, notwithstanding change of governments.

But unlike the other two – minister for Mangla dam affairs and fisheries Chaudhry Mohammad Yousuf and minister for revenue, stamps and evacuee property Chaudhry Ali Shan Soni - Mr Nasim has lately started criticizing Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan to make ground for his next political flight.

Mr Nasim, it may be recalled, was launched in AJK’s electoral politics as a Muslim Conference (MC) candidate in July 2006 general election from Bagh district by the powers that had allegedly manipulated those polls. He was allotted the coveted portfolio of C&W and reconstruction by Prime Minister Sardar Attique.

However, when the situation became unfavourable for Sardar Attique after the fall of his benevolent military dictator in Pakistan, Mr Nasim was among the forerunners of a “forward block” that aimed premier’s replacement.

In a November 17, 2008 chat with this correspondent, he had dubbed the prime minister (Sardar Attique) as “the most controversial personality” who “had failed to deliver on every count.”

In fact, Mr Nasim was among four anti-Sardar Attique lawmakers tipped as his likely successors but as lady luck smiled on Sardar Yaqoob he had to resign himself to a berth in cabinet with the same portfolio.

Mr Yaqoob’s government was sent packing after nine months through a no trust motion by the reunified MC factions which brought Raja Farooq Haider in his place.

Mr Nasim was once again appointed as minister with his previous portfolio.

However, after another nine months, Mr Haider was also shown the door by Sardar Attique with the help of 21 MC MLAs and entire opposition.

Mr Nasim was among those 21 MC MLAs and was once again given the same portfolio in the new (sitting) cabinet.

After his induction, he made some harshest comments in media against Mr Haider, terming him even an “unbalanced person.” No wonder, by then he had forgotten his previous allegations against the sitting premier and was instead all praise for him.

In the last month’s AJK Council election, Mr Nasim however voted for the lone candidate of PML-N, a party led none other than by Mr Haider, in an indication of his next political flight.

When asked on Monday if his alleged voltfaces were not unethical, Mr Nasim maintained that his moves were driven by the “interests of his voters as well as principles.”

“I have not done it for personal gains. Whenever I felt that things were going from bad to worst I could not help but revolt,” he said.

Hurling serious accusations at the prime minister, he termed him a disorientated person who had held the MC hostage to his family.

When asked then why he was still part of the government, he said he had tendered his resignation but it was not accepted.

“Some cabinet colleagues asked me to withdraw my resignation and since I am a civilized person, I couldn’t resist their request.”

Tariq Naqash

King Abdullah University of AJK : Site handed over to builder at long last

By Tariq Naqash

At long last, possession of a site, acquired near here for the construction of Saudi government sponsored King Abdullah University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has been handed over to a builder after issuance of Acceptance Letter (work order) in its favour on Tuesday.

M/S Samboo and Sarco, a joint venture (JV) of Korean and Pakistani firms, got the contract of Rs 5.62 billion project after being chosen for the job by the donor agency – Saudi Fund for Development, according to officials.

At the project site, located some 20 kilometres south of here along Muzaffarabad-Kohala Road in Chattar Klas, officials of the Saudi Fund for Development and Kuwait Fund (SFD&KF) Projects (a unit established by the AJK government to execute the projects sponsored by the two brotherly nations) as well as the AJK University formally handed over documents of land to the representatives of the construction company in a cheerful atmosphere.

Acquisition of the 1000 kanal site as well as payment of permanent and temporary structures and trees thereon to the owners has cost the government some Rs 450 million.

On January 26, the AJK Supreme Court had held that selection of the builder from any of the four bidders, which were technically qualified by the project consultant, should be left on the discretion of the donor.

The apex court had arrived at this decision while hearing an appeal filed by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) against a December 30, 2010, judgment of the AJK High Court which had directed Erra to award the construction contract to M/S Paragon-Principal, a joint venture of Karachi-based companies, for being the lowest bidder.

The Supreme Court had however directed that the entire process must be completed by February 28 so that the construction work on the site of the already delayed project could commence on March 1.

According to Mansoor Qadir Dar, Project Director SFD&KF Projects, the technical and financial proposals and other relevant documents of all four bidders, which had been pre-qualified, were provided to the donor agency which had given its ‘No Objection Certificate’ in the favour of M/S Samboo and Sarco.

It was after that NOC, the Project Steering Committee of Erra had decided to issue the Acceptance Letter (Letter of Award) to the said company, he added.

The builder, which has recently constructed 4 giant official blocks in the New Civil Secretariat Muzaffarabad, had already mobilized its survey teams to the project site which had initiated soil investigation and other geotechnical studies, Mr Dar said.

The estimated completion period of the project was three years but Attaur Rehman, a representative of the construction company, told this scribe that they would try their best to complete it before the stipulated time “to the entire satisfaction of the donors.”

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