Imran to address gathering in AJK capital on Sept 29

 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan will address a public meeting in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) capital later this month in what will be his first public appearance in the territory after the last year’s election campaign. 

According to a press release issued on Friday, it was decided by the ruling PTI's parliamentary party to hold the public meeting in K H Khurshid mini stadium in the heart of Muzaffarabad on September 29 “to renew the unflinching affiliation of the Kashmiris with their ambassador.”

The parliamentary party’s emergency meeting was presided over by AJK premier Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, who is also PTI's regional president.  

At a public meeting in Bagh early this month, PM Ilyas had announced that Khan would soon be invited to address a “mammoth gathering” at the place of his choosing in AJK. 

“The venue of the public meeting might be in Muzaffarabad or in Kotli or here in Bagh,” he had said in Bagh, but immediately it was not clear if Muzaffarabad was the choice of Khan or that of Ilyas.  

A participant told this scribe that the parliamentary party in general and PM Ilyas in particular were sanguine about huge public participation in the September 29 event “because of the strong bond between the Kashmiris and Khan.” 

“Kashmiris owe rich tributes to Khan sahib for the way he fought their case at international forums and provided generous funds for the development and prosperity of Azad Kashmir in spite of country’s bad economic condition and they will accord him a rousing reception in Muzaffarabad,” Ilyas said on the occasion.  

He asserted that last year the AJK people had voted for Khan’s vision and ideology to “lay the basis of sustainable development in the liberated territory” and PTI would leave no stone unturned to come up to their expectations. 

According to the press release, the parliamentary party also decided to take part in the forthcoming local bodies elections with full force, expressing optimism that it would clinch victory exactly like that of the last year’s general elections.  

“We will devolve powers to the grassroots level in accordance with the vision of our leader Imran Khan,” PM Ilyas said, informing the participants that the PTI’s parliamentary board for LB polls would soon be constituted.  

The parliamentary party also gave its nod to a proposal by Ilyas to grant tax exemptions for the promotion of industry in AJK, following which a 15-member committee, headed by minister for finance, was constituted to determine the ratio of exemption. The committee was asked to submit its report to the prime minister within two weeks.

“We have to take bold initiatives to create an investment friendly atmosphere in our state so that we can attract more and more investors which will eventually create employment opportunities and strengthen our economy,” PM Ilyas said.  

Tariq Naqash