PML-N minister's 'cordiality' with PPP govt spotlights AJK Council affairs

The growing “contacts and cordiality” between the Federal Minister for Kashmir affairs Chaudhry Barjees Tahir and the Peoples Party led Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government have served to create a gulf between him and the AJK chapter of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).

And at the same time, they have once again turned the spotlight on the unbridled spending of AJK taxpayers’ hard earned money at the hands of those who are at the helm in any respect in the AJK Council, an institution of which Mr Tahir happens to be the in-charge federal minister.

Such is the state of affairs that the PML-N AJK chapter has called for intervention of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the situation, in a recently dispatched letter. Mr Sharif has also been requested to replace Mr Tahir in the likely cabinet reshuffle by someone else, who does not have biradri (clannish) connections in AJK.

Mr Tahir who not too long ago would be denounced by the PPP led AJK government, a day in and a day out, for his insistence on elimination of alleged corruption and improvement of governance in AJK has not only mended fences with the local PPP leaders, but is also alleged to be facilitating them, to the chagrin of his party’s AJK chapter, sources say.

On October 27, when Mr Tahir travelled to Muzaffarabad with acting Prime Minister Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin to attend the ‘Black Day’ demonstration under the aegis of the AJK government, none of the PML-N leaders was seen meeting and greeting him here, thus bringing in the open the disagreement between the two sides, sources added.

“The PML-N believes that Mr Tahir is in cahoots with some PPP leaders in AJK, presumably on the basis of biradri, and for that reason he is not only doling them out the AJK Council funds, but also helping them have lent officers of their choice posted in AJK,” confided a source in the PML-N.

It may be recalled here that the federal minister for Kashmir affairs also happens to be the in-charge federal minister of the AJK Council, an institution created through the AJK’s Interim Constitution Act, 1974, and headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Interestingly, neither the prime minister nor the federal minister take oath for these positions under the AJK’s Interim Constitution.

The Council, which comprises six members elected by the AJK Assembly and as many co-opted from the Parliament of Pakistan, was created to serve as a bridge between the governments in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad. However, contrarily, people believe, it has turned itself into a parallel government, which in no way is answerable to the AJK people.  

Its main source of income is 20 per cent of the income tax, it generates from the AJK territory as well as (entire) license fees from the telecom companies operating in AJK. The remaining 80 per cent of income tax is given to the AJK government. 

However, what has always been an issue of serious concern for the AJK people is the wanton disbursement of Council funds, largely at the discretion of its in-charge federal minister.

In the current year’s budget, which is yet to be passed, the Council has earmarked Rs 2.6 billion for developmental activities within AJK and Pakistan, even though legally it is not mandated to carry out developmental work within the territory of AJK.

However, this law has never been followed, as these development activities at inflated rates suit the vested interests. They are filling their pockets, without any fear of inquiry or monitoring by any accountability body in AJK and Pakistan.

The AJK based media has no access to the Council records and the Pakistan based media has no interest in its affairs. Those few who try to dig out details are offered tempting “schemes” which many hardly refuse, and hence the loot and plunder goes on with impunity.

In the current year’s budget, the federal minister has placed a staggering Rs 300 million for developmental activities anywhere in AJK and Pakistan at his discretion. Rs 45 million each have been proposed at the discretion of the AJK president, who happens to be the vice chairman of Council, the AJK prime minister and the six elected members.

In the absence of any criterion for spending, these funds are mostly frittered away. 

Mr Tahir has also brought an Executive Engineer (XEN) from Punjab to head the Development Wing of the AJK Council as Superintending Engineer (SE), so that everything - from preparation of schemes to their execution – is done by the Council itself.

Resultantly, now no one else will be able to share the kickbacks.  

The PML-N AJK leaders had long been demanding special audit of the AJK Council, particularly after allegations that its former in-charge federal minister in the PPP government, Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, had “shamelessly abused the Council funds to mint money for himself and cronies.”

However, they feel exasperated after Mr Tahir has not only “brushed off that demand but has himself adopted the course of his predecessors,” sources say.

Sources disclose that the PML-N AJK leadership, which is not on talking terms with Mr Tahir for quite some time, also believes that he has an “attitude problem.”

During his recent tour to Kotli, Mr Tahir was alleged to have misbehaved with two PML-N lawmakers.

 The PML-N AJK has demanded of PM Sharif to take stock of the situation. Besides, it has given him some suggestions to ensure judicious spending of the AJK Council funds.

“The AJK taxpayers’ money in the Council has always been misused as political bribe by successive federal ministers and ironically the vice is being continued by the incumbent minister,” the PML-N AJK is said to have complained to Mr Sharif along with some pieces of evidence.

However, publicly the PML-N AJK leaders are tight-lipped about the differences, “lest it can aggravate problems for Mr Sharif, already upset by the Imran Khan led offensive,” sources say.  

“We are virtually helpless. We cannot show our wounds to the public. But if the situation remains unheeded it will eventually deal a serious blow to us in the next elections,” remarked a PML-N leader on condition of anonymity.

When this scribed contacted Raja Farooq Haider, PML-N president in AJK, he confirmed the differences, though cautiously.

“We have some reservations which we have brought in the notice of our central leadership,” he said.

Interestingly before the last year’s general elections in Pakistan, Mr Sharif had pledged in his election manifesto to empower the AJK government by transferring it most of the Council’s legislative powers. However, more than a year on, he has not found time to pay attention to this issue.

As Mr Sharif owes gratitude to PPP for its support to him in the crises kicked up by PTI and PAT, he has turned a blind eye towards the allegations of corruption against the AJK government. A comprehensive document prepared by PML-N MLA Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, in this regard, is therefore gathering dust in the PM’s office in Islamabad.  

Early this year, it was the PPP in AJK seeking Mr Tahir's removal from Kashmir affair's ministry and as the year draws to a close it’s his own PML-N in AJK making a similar demand, though apparently for unalike reasons.

Whatever may be the cause it’s however a blessing in disguise, because it calls attention to the misuse of funds in the AJK Council and the dire need for its reorganization through the much touted reforms in the AJK’s Interim Constitution.

Tariq Naqash 

Doctor accused of attempted rape of a young girl remanded in police custody

 A specialist doctor, accused of attempting to rape a young female patient at a major health facility in the district headquarters of Poonch, has been remanded in police custody for five days on Saturday.

Dr Gul Nisar, serving as ENT specialist in the Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan (SKZN) Hospital, Rawalakot, was arrested past midnight after an application was lodged against him in the City Police Station by the father of a 13-year old girl, who alleged that he had molested her in the separate room earlier in the evening.

According to the FIR, the girl was brought by her father to SKZN Hospital on Friday morning due to a nasal problem and she was admitted in the ENT ward by a duty doctor. In the afternoon, the accused ENT specialist, during a round of the ENT ward, took her to a procedure room, "where he asked her to remove her trousers and then fingered her genitals."

The distraught girl rushed out of the procedure room, sobbing, and narrated her ordeal to her father while the accused doctor slipped away from the ward, the FIR stated.

Sources told this scribe that the girl’s father brought the issue in the notice of hospital’s commandant, who then recorded her statement in the presence of senior doctors.

The FIR was lodged after the girl’s statement to the hospital authorities, sources said, adding, in the meanwhile the local civil society had also swung into action to get the alleged accused punished.

Police said that the accused was booked under section 18 ZHA (attempt for rape) and the arrest was made at about 12:30 am.

SHO City Police Station Akmal Sharif told this scribe that the accused physician denies the allegations, saying he had himself brought the girl back in the ward from the procedure room and then left for his flat. 

When contacted, DG health Sardar Mahmood Ahmed Khan said that he had received a report about the alleged incident from the hospital authorities, apart from other sources. He said though he had  initiated departmental proceedings for the suspension of the accused doctor, an order to this effect would however be issued after Eid holidays.

The accused doctor, said to be in his early 30s', is single and was going to tie the nuptial knot later this month.

On Saturday, when he was produced before the additional session judge for remand, some lawyers tried to rough him up.

The local medical fraternity however condemned the lawyers’ attitude.

“We had already made it clear that if allegations are proven, the law should take its course. Nonetheless, the attitude of lawyers is condemnable,” said Dr Wajid Khan, president PMA, Poonch chapter.

…. Tariq Naqash 

Intelligence agency official beaten for 'blackmailing a female student'

A man who claimed he served in an intelligence agency was beaten black and blue by the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) students here on Thursday, allegedly for blackmailing a female student in connivance with a non-local academician.

Afterwards, the students brought the injured official to the office of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muzaffarabad Irfan Masood Kashfi, with his mobile phone and that of the victim as an evidence of their allegations.

Both the phones were handed over to the SSP “so that he could see for himself the obnoxious texts sent by the accused to the victim.”

The accused, when confronted by some media persons in one of the chambers of SSP’s office, claimed that he would visit the University for “verification of students for the scholarships.”

However, he could not offer a plausible reply when asked that in which capacity he was carrying out such a task.

Later, student leaders Zubair Ahmed Mir, Farooq Mir, Raja Asad Farooq, Mehtab Abbasi, Asim Kamran and Mahmood Ahmed Mir held a press conference on the issue and called for exemplary punishment to all those involved in the heinous act of blackmailing female students for carnal desires.

They alleged that the accused official in connivance with Mr Abdul Majeed Niazi, Director, Institute of Education, UAJK, started texting her from September 26 initially to facilitate her scholarship, while introducing himself as Captain Sheraz from an intelligence agency.

On Thursday morning, he arrived at the entrance of the UAJK’s City Campus and kept on pressing the girl through text messages to come out for a date with him, they said.  

As the victim had already shared her plight with a class representative (CR), dozens of infuriated students got hold of the accused on the main road outside the city campus and started beating him like anything, they added.

According to them, when the mobile of the accused was snatched, he claimed that it belonged to Mr Niazi, a resident of Mianwali appointed in the UAJK under Tenure Track System more than two years ago.

The student leaders further claimed that when they were bringing the accused to the SSP office, he begged them to let him go and in return he would share details about the network that blackmailed the female students.

Initially apprehensive of police, the student leaders however praised them at the press conference for their “positive attitude and cooperation.”

In the afternoon, the victim also recorded her statement before Deputy Commissioner Masoodur Rehman, wherein she reportedly said that she was being blackmailed by the agency official and the UAJK director.

When contacted, SSP Kashfi told this scribe late in the evening that since the accused claimed himself to be an employee of an intelligence agency, he had been handed over to them for trial by a military court.

“We have recorded evidence and statements of all concerned and the same has also been provided to the concerned military authorities for further action under the law,” he said. 

He said due to the alleged involvement of a UAJK director in this case, the police had also taken Vice Chancellor Dr Syed Dilnawaz Ahmed Gardezi on board, and the latter had committed to hold an internal inquiry by October 20.

 Earlier in the day, a UAJK spokesman said that the Vice Chancellor had taken serious notice of the brawl between the students and an “outsider” outside the city campus and formed a committee to hold impartial and independent investigations and submit its report at the earliest.

The committee is headed by dean faculty of science and engineering Prof Dr Mohammad Rustam Khan and includes dean faculty of arts Prof Dr Nadeem Haider Bukhari, director students’ affairs Prof Amir Farooq and his predecessor Prof Ikram ur Rasheed and coordinator BS (education) programme Prof Siddique Awan.   

“The Vice Chancellor has made it clear that no one can be allowed to vitiate the academic environment of the sacred institution and that stern action will be taken in case any varsity official was found guilty,” the spokesman said.

Tariq Naqash