Both leaders also resolved to establish institutional linkages between their respective areas to bridge the gaps prevailing for more than the past seven decades.
They were talking to media persons after a dinner hosted by Mr Ilyas in the honour of Mr Khurshid at PM House here on Wednesday night. The talk concluded shortly before midnight.
“The prime minister of Pakistan is the prime minister of the whole country regardless of which parties govern which province or state. But, sadly, this time round the government in Islamabad has come with a different agenda and motto to push their opponents to the wall,” maintained Ilyas in his opening comments.
“This is surprising, rather shocking,” he added.
Stating that nobody could remain in the government for life, he asked the ruling coalition in Islamabad to "give up discriminatory attitude and instead show political maturity and farsightedness.”
“If you give us money, which you will have to, it’s not coming from your personal kitty but from the coffers of the state.”
He cited that many of his employees were unable to claim salaries or pledged allowances for want of funds.
He said that the Rs 500 billion package announced by former Prime Minister Imran Khan for AJK had also been stopped by the incumbent government.
“People are speaking out against us… because they don’t know the reality. In fact, it’s we who the Almighty blessed to make mighty decisions [for the welfare of people].”
“If you think by denying us our share you can make us bow down, you are mistaken.”
He said AJK’s share in the variable grant, according to a mutually agreed formula, was more than Rs 200 billion and “we say if you can’t give us this much money, give us just Rs 100 billion.”
He asserted that Imran Khan had generously increased the share of both the AJK and GB governments, despite the fact they were ruled by the PML-N.
Speaking on the occasion, Khurshid said over the last seven decades, GB and AJK lacked the kind of a relationship that should have existed between them “perhaps because of the negligence of the leadership on both sides.”
Terming Muzaffarabad as his first and not second home, he said he and Ilyas had agreed to strengthen ties between their respective areas through different measures, including construction of Shounthar tunnel.
He said they had also decided that a Kashmir House would be built in Gilgit and a GB House would be built in Muzaffarabad.
Khurshid said Pakistan’s economic condition had never been exemplary but every government of the past had taken good care of GB and AJK.
“If the past rulers were unable to provide additional funds at least they did not slash the existing amount. But the incumbent regime is the first set-up that has cut our grants, thus completely pushing both regions to the wall.”
“We are therefore right in believing that it’s an imported government which has come to power with a specific agenda.”
The GB CM was of the view that connection between the people of AJK and GB was a must for freedom of occupied Kashmir, because only they could better explain and advocate the issue.
“I believe instead of leaving the Kashmir issue at the mercy of the federal government or foreign ministry we should ourselves become its torchbearers… We should rise, talk about it and involve all those people who are willing to support us in this regard.
He said he wanted to call on the UN Secretary General to discuss climate change and the Kashmir issue.
The area we come from is neither visited by development partners nor by INGOs while the World Bank says we are a disputed territory. We ought to talk to the UN Secretary General that the GB and AJK should be given preferential treatment in funding by the UN agencies.”
Khurshid invited his political rivals to support his efforts for inter-connectivity between and betterment of the people of GB and AJK.
Responding questions, he alleged that the federal government was trying to topple his government “by hook or by crook.”
“They are working to weaken the judiciary in GB by trying to induct their favourites in violation of an adopted procedure… They are trying to reduce the term of assembly. Last but not the least, they have cut our budget.”
“I don’t have any hope of goodness from them. But I am sure Allah will humiliate them like He has done to them in the past.”
GB Provincial Status
Between the lines, Khurshid maintained that the grant of provincial status to GB and AJK, without causing harm to Kashmir cause and violating UN resolutions, could help both regions overcome their fiscal and other problems.
However, when a reporter posed the same question distinctly, he acknowledged that it had been a moot point.
“If we look at it in the context of the Kashmir issue, the resolution passed by the GB Assembly categorically stated that the region wants to be brought into constitutional ambit without weakening the Kashmir issue and Pakistan’s position on it in the UN.”
“But we are not hurrying up because we have a commitment to the Kashmir issue. It’s sort of a sacrifice and silent jihad.”
Khurshid was of the view that if AJK and GB got “constitutional guarantees without damaging Kashmir issue and UN resolutions” not only that no one would be able to cut their budgets, they would also have political representations at the highest political forums.
“If anyone amongst you becomes foreign minister tomorrow (after becoming a member of the Parliament), will you not fight your case on Kashmir in a different way?”
He said in his view it was time for practical steps with a different strategy, because the strategy being pursued over the past seven decades had nothing but [hollow] promises to the Kashmiris waiting for us.
Tariq Naqash
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