Two men trapped by sudden surge in Jhelum River rescued

Two men were rescued after being trapped in the Jhelum River due to a sudden surge in water flow on Saturday, as authorities warned of increased risks of flash flooding amid rising temperatures and accelerated snowmelt.

Officials said the ongoing rise in temperature had intensified snowmelt, heightening the risk of abrupt fluctuations in the flow of rivers and streams.

In this context, a sudden increase in river discharge was recorded at Chakothi between 12pm and 1pm, reportedly due to the possible opening of spillways or reservoirs by India at Uri in India-held Kashmir.

The abrupt release of water triggered a sharp surge in the river between 1pm and 2pm, trapping two men who were fishing on a river island in Tandali, some 20 kilometres from here along the Jhelum Valley Road.

Upon receiving information, Rescue 1122 launched a timely operation and, after a difficult effort, safely retrieved both men from the river. They were later handed over to the police.

Director General of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and Rescue 1122, Saeedur Rehman Qureshi, urged citizens to exercise extreme caution, warning that the prevailing weather conditions — marked by rapid snowmelt and unusual temperature fluctuations — posed a serious risk of sudden flooding in rivers and streams.

He advised people to avoid going near rivers, fishing, or engaging in unnecessary activities in such areas.

“Without public cooperation, it is difficult for institutions to ensure the safety of life and property,” he said, urging citizens to strictly follow safety advisories issued by the authorities, particularly in view of possible rainfall and further weather changes in the coming days, to avert any untoward incidents.

Tariq Naqash

AJK election body vows to ensure accuracy in voter lists

 

Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on Saturday directed authorities to ensure timely correction of errors in preliminary electoral rolls, stressing that accurate voter lists were essential for transparent elections.

He was chairing a meeting held to review issues and discrepancies that surfaced after the publication of the preliminary electoral rolls.

The meeting was attended by Election Commission member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Sardar Muhammad Zafar, Secretary Election Commission Raja Muhammad Shakeel, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and other officials.

The secretary election commission briefed participants on errors in the preliminary rolls, complaints about missing voters and other related matters.

Mr Mughal stressed the need to ensure accuracy, transparency and prompt rectification of flaws so that all eligible voters could be included in the final lists. He said the preliminary rolls were provisional and not final, and their shortcomings would be addressed within the stipulated timeframe with the administration’s support.

During the meeting, commissioners and deputy commissioners highlighted errors in their respective districts and proposed measures for correction.

It was decided that electoral rolls used in the 2022 local government elections would serve as the baseline for inclusion and exclusion of voters, and that no voter would be registered outside their respective ward.

The meeting decided that errors in the preliminary lists would be corrected on an emergency basis, with revision work to be carried out at all divisional headquarters in collaboration with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). The election commission will provide the necessary data, while its district-level officers will assist the administration in removing discrepancies.

Participants also stressed the need to raise public awareness about the revision process and the procedure for filing objections so that citizens could ensure correction of their information within the stipulated period.

Mr Mughal reiterated that conducting free and fair elections remained the commission’s top priority, and directed officials to ensure transparency, impartiality and facilitation of the public in the electoral process by utilising all available resources.

Tariq Naqash

PTI aspirants in Lachhrat oppose ticket for newcomer

 

As many as 12 aspirants, including six members of the District Council Muzaffarabad, on Saturday urged the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership to award the party ticket for the suburban Lachhrat constituency (LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II) to any one of them, assuring full support from all others. 

Speaking at a press conference, they warned that awarding the ticket to a newcomer would cause “irreparable damage” to the party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). 

Among those present were PTI regional information secretary and district president Syed Azhar Gillani, District Council members Mir Iftikhar (Panjgran), Mir Naseer Gillani (Nura Seri), Syed Fayaz Gillani (Hotrerhi), Shaukat Kazmi (Nauseri Nosadda), Yasir Safeer Mughal (Chhatar Domel), Chaudhry Asif Yaqoob (Panjkote), local council members Umar Mughal and Mahtab Mughal, and Youth Wing senior vice president Mir Waleed. 

Also present were PTI ticket aspirants Ansar Pirzada, Khawaja Shafique and Imran Khurshid from Jhelum Valley, Neelum Valley and Muzaffarabad city, respectively. 

The speakers said the press conference pertained specifically to the Lachhrat constituency and alleged attempts to divide the party by securing a ticket for a new candidate through financial influence, vowing to resist such efforts. They reiterated that the eventual nominee among the 12 would enjoy unanimous support. 

Though no name was mentioned, their remarks appeared to be directed at Engr Mir Iftikhar Hussain, a recent entrant to PTI who is also seeking the party ticket from the constituency. 

Recalling past performance, they said the PTI candidate had secured around 23,000 votes in the 2021 general elections, but delays in ticket allocation had affected the outcome. In contrast, they said, the party performed strongly in local government elections, winning district council seats in six of 10 union councils and losing the remaining four by narrow margins, while securing chairmanships across all union councils.

They asserted that PTI would actively participate in the upcoming elections in AJK and warned that any attempt to obstruct the process or deny registration would be challenged legally. 

“Whatever the circumstances, we will take full part in the elections to advance Imran Khan’s vision,” they said. 

Responding to questions, they said they did not require any certificate of patriotism, adding that Imran Khan had always referred to the Pakistan Army as “his army”, and that groups involved in negative activities should be banned. They maintained that Imran Khan was fighting for the rights of 230 million Pakistanis and that PTI would approach voters on the basis of performance. 

They also said PTI had supported the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for public rights, but alleged that it, like PTI, faced obstacles when it mobilised. 

On the occasion, Mr Shafique said flawed strategy was costing PTI in Neelum district, with many local representatives and workers switching parties. Mr Khurshid alleged that the party had suffered not only in Muzaffarabad city due to its own lawmaker but that workers in Lachhrat were also being sidelined, urging the leadership to take notice. 

Tariq Naqash

Rathore inaugurates water scheme, announces health, infrastructure projects in Mirpur

 

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Saturday said his government would return to power with greater strength, citing public support and its performance. 

He was speaking at a ceremony in Union Council Kharik on the outskirts of Mirpur, where he inaugurated the Greater Water Supply Scheme, constructed at a cost of Rs235.2 million. The project is expected to provide clean drinking water connections to around 19,000 households.

The prime minister said the government was committed to public welfare and development, adding that efforts were underway to address long-standing issues faced by communities. He also announced the establishment of a dispensary in Kharik.

Referring to development works in the area, he appreciated the role of local leadership in improving infrastructure, particularly road networks, and expressed the government’s resolve to continue development initiatives.

Mr Rathore said the sacrifices of Mirpur’s residents, particularly overseas Kashmiris, would not be forgotten, and assured that the longstanding issue of property rights would be resolved during the current government’s tenure.

He also paid tributes to former AJK president Barrister Sultan Mahmood, saying he had effectively highlighted the Kashmir issue at national and international levels, and his historic services would always be remembered. 

Minister for Physical Planning and Housing Chaudhry Yasir Sultan and government adviser Sardar Fahad Yaqoob also addressed the ceremony.

Later, the prime minister visited the Kashmir Institute of Cardiology (KIC) at the Divisional Headquarters Hospital in Mirpur, where he was briefed by Medical Superintendent Dr Ijaz Ahmed Raja. 

Expressing satisfaction over the hospital’s performance, he announced Rs20 million for strengthening emergency services and said a proposal to upgrade the KIC to a full-fledged hospital would be presented to the cabinet. 

He also approved an increase in the institute’s annual budget from Rs6 million to Rs60 million and directed the provision of modern facilities, including bypass and stent procedures, to make the cath lab fully functional. 

The prime minister ordered expansion of the emergency ward at the DHQ hospital from 12 to 24 beds in view of the increasing patient load and directed construction of a boundary wall to improve security.

He assured that the KIC would be upgraded into a modern cardiac care centre on the pattern of the Muzaffarabad cardiac hospital to provide quality treatment facilities within the region.

The prime minister also paid tribute to the late Haji Muhammad Saleem — a noted social and business figure of Mirpur — for funding the construction of the KIC building from his own resources as a gift to the people of the area.

Among his other engagements, PM Rathore attended a review meeting of development projects in Mirpur division. He also laid the foundation stone of the Divisional Commissioner’s Office building in Mirpur, to be constructed at a cost of Rs100.35 million, and separately, inaugurated the PWD Complex in Mirpur, built at a cost of Rs117.44 million under the Physical Planning and Housing Department.

AJK resolves GST dispute with wheat transport contractor

          The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Food Department on Thursday announced that a longstanding dispute over the deduction of General Sales Tax (GST) from payments to wheat transportation contractors had been resolved after approval by the cabinet. 

According to a press release, during a certification audit for the year 2021-22 by the Accountant General’s Sub-Office in Islamabad, an objection was raised for the first time regarding the non-deduction of GST from the contractors’ bills under the Finance Act 2019. 

Following the objection, the Accountant General’s Office halted payments to contractors, triggering a strike by transporters who maintained that they had not been informed about the imposition of 16pc GST while submitting bids. 

The contractors argued that their tender rates had been quoted after factoring in prevailing costs such as fuel prices, inflation and existing taxes, and that the sudden application of GST made their contracts financially unviable. 

Upon learning about the deduction of GST from their bills, the contractors refused to continue work at the quoted rates and resorted to a strike, following which the then secretary food assured them at a meeting that while the taxes applicable for the remaining period, including GST, would be paid accordingly, the issue of past deductions would be taken up at the government level for resolution, the press release said. 

It added that in March 2023, a high-level meeting headed by the then prime minister decided to defer GST deductions on past payments. It was further decided that an appropriate procedure would be adopted for the formal settlement of the issue. Contractors were informed that GST would be applicable to future contracts. 

According to the press release, subsequent tenders clearly specified GST provisions, after which contractors submitted fresh bids and deductions began in line with the law. 

Meanwhile, a summary seeking exemption from GST for the period between 2019 and 2022 was approved by the then prime minister, but the absence of a formal notification led contractors to approach the High Court for implementation of the decision. 

Following court directions, the government constituted a committee which reviewed the matter in detail and recommended settlement of the issue under Section 65 of the Finance Act. 

The cabinet endorsed the recommendations in 2025 and, after consultation with the Inland Revenue Department, a formal notification was issued, thereby settling the matter. 

The Food Department said the decision had cleared ambiguities regarding GST applicability and would help ensure smooth payments to contractors and uninterrupted wheat supply across the region.

Tariq Naqash

AJKLA forms bipartisan panels to tackle civic issues in Muzaffarabad, Kotli

         The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly on Wednesday constituted two bipartisan committees to address issues of clean drinking water, sewerage and waste recycling in Muzaffarabad and Kotli.

The session was presided over by Deputy Speaker Chaudhry Riaz Gujjar.

Responding to a calling attention notice by an opposition lawmaker from Muzaffarabad, Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore recalled that during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the city, attention had been drawn to civic issues, including stalled reconstruction of earthquake-hit schools, and Rs5 billion had been sought under the federal PSDP. He said Rs1bn had been released, which would be used to complete school buildings that were already 80pc finished.

Emphasising that Muzaffarabad’s issues were a collective responsibility, the prime minister supported the formation of a House committee to identify problems and suggest remedies. The chair subsequently constituted a committee comprising the minister for housing and physical planning and two members each from the treasury and the opposition.

 PPP regional president Chaudhry Yasin pointed out that his constituency — Kotli city — faced similar issues and called for a similar committee. The prime minister, referring to complaints raised during his recent visit to Kotli about waste disposal, clean drinking water and sewerage, endorsed the proposal. The deputy speaker then constituted another committee comprising five treasury and one opposition member from Kotli district.

 Both committees will submit recommendations to the government.

During question hour, Senior Minister Mian Abdul Waheed informed the House that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced a Danish University in Muzaffarabad, for which a site was being identified. He added that Danish schools were being established in Sharda (Neelum) and Leepa (Jhelum Valley), while implementation had also begun in Bagh, Bhimber and Kotli.

Minister Chaudhry Rasheed said that, subject to federal approval, classes for the proposed university could initially be started at an agriculture academy and a degree college in Garhi Dupatta.

 Minister for Communications Sardar Ziaul Qamar said a 30km road project in Bagh’s eastern constituency was pending on technical grounds and would be taken up at the next meeting of the Cabinet Development Committee (CDC). He said delays in PC-1 approval, along with a funding cap of Rs850 million flagged by the Planning and Development Department, had held up the project.

Sardar Mir Akbar, MLA from eastern Bagh who recently joined the PML-N, alleged that development works in his constituency had been halted as victimisation, payments to contractors were stalled and protests had taken place. He warned against being pushed to take extreme steps. The prime minister assured the House that the CDC would clear the project within a week and tenders would be issued.

Responding to a notice by Abdul Majid Khan on the non-provision of development funds to refugee lawmakers, Mr Waheed said the issue had become contentious and was under review by a committee, with consultations ongoing. He said the government would adopt a position after talks concluded and release funds if a consensus emerged, adding that relevant court rulings would also be examined.

On issues relating to health department employees and regularisation of ad hoc staff, he said an agreement had been reached between the prime minister and the health secretary to resolve matters in phases, adding that recommendations would be placed before the cabinet for approval and legislation.

He also said the proposal to establish daycare centres for female employees would be pursued in line with available resources.

The House referred two bills — the Power Development Organisation (Amendment) Ordinance 2026 and the Services Tribunal (Amendment) Act 2026 — to the relevant select committees for further consideration.

Later, the chair prorogued the session sine die.

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Refugees equal citizens under Constitution, AJK PM tells Legislative Assembly

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Tuesday told the Legislative Assembly that refugees from occupied Jammu and Kashmir residing in Pakistan were equal citizens of the State under the Constitution and all their rights remained intact.

Responding to a point of order raised by former finance minister and Public Accounts Committee chairman Abdul Majid Khan over “non-release of development funds for refugee lawmakers,” the prime minister said refugee members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) retained their constitutional right to vote and the government had no intention of depriving them of funds.

He said matters relating to cabinet strength and funds had been deferred under a mutual understanding agreement signed by representatives of the governments of Pakistan and AJK as well as the Joint Awami Action Committee. 

“Refugees are an inseparable part of the political structure and it is due to their votes that I am holding the office of prime minister. It is not correct to say they are being deprived of ministries; this is only a matter of mutual understanding,” he added.

Earlier, Mr Khan questioned the constitutional and legal status of 12 refugee seats in the wake of a High Court judgment on local bodies, and sought clarification on the withholding of funds and the legal standing of the “understanding agreement” with the JAAC.

Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar ruled that no speech was allowed on a point of order and advised Mr Khan to table a resolution instead.

Mr Khan argued that following judicial clarification of Article 22 of the AJK Constitution there was no ambiguity regarding refugee seats or justification for withholding funds. He recalled historical constitutional arrangements and amendments and demanded assurance of protection of constitutional rights. 

In response, the prime minister said the High Court judgment on local bodies was confined to the distribution of funds and did not affect the constitutional status of refugee seats, which would remain intact until altered by the assembly. 

He said if PML-N leader Raja Farooq Haider secured any relaxation from Islamabad, the government was ready to include refugee members in the cabinet. 

The prime minister said the PPP believed in a people-friendly government, adding that honorary designations and coordinators appointed by it were actively confronting political opponents in the field. 

Law Minister Mian Abdul Waheed said the court ruling contained no contradiction and the matter remained sub judice. He added that several refugee MLAs were also serving as committee chairpersons.

He termed lengthy speeches “based on assumptions” inappropriate, after which the speaker disallowed further discussion. 

Mr Khan attempted to speak again but was not allowed, following which he and MLA Asim Sharif Butt staged a walkout. Minister Qasim Majeed later tried to persuade them to return, but they did not rejoin the proceedings.

Earlier, on the demand of Mr Haider, the law minister announced a special session of the assembly in May to highlight Indian atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and express solidarity with its people.

The law minister also introduced three bills related to education, tourism promotion and the Neelum Valley Development Board, which were referred to relevant committees. A special committee was also formed on the AJK Public Sector Universities Act 2024. 

At the outset, the speaker administered oath to PTI’s Chaudhry Maqbool Gujar as an MLA in line with a Supreme Court decision in his favour.

    Tariq Naqash