Azad Jammu Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq has said that the approval of the Social Protection Ordinance was an important milestone towards ending a sense of deprivation amongst economically less-privileged sections of society in AJK. He expressed these views while addressing the Azad Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly Session shortly after the House approved the landmark Social Protection of Vulnerable Population Ordinance 2024 in its ongoing season held in the state metropolis. Terming the legislative body as the biggest defender of the people's fundamental rights, the PM said, "If someone dared to tamper with the endowment fund, he will be taught a lesson". He expressed that the government has dealt with every kind of mafia and their patrons with an iron hand. Protection of citizens' lives and their property, he said, was the government's Primary responsibility.

The PM also appreciated the role of the Federal government and national security agencies in solving the problems in Azad Kashmir. He said that e-tendering has been instrumental in saving more than 3 billion rupees. "We have surrendered 110 posts in the Prime Minister's Secretariat,"  he said, adding that it was for the first time that half of the Prime Minister's Secretariat budget had been surrendered. The PM said that holding peaceful protests was no doubt everyone's right, but if there was any attempt to disrupt the peace, the AJK police were sufficient enough to deal with it. The prime minister made it clear that FC has been deployed to protect the foreigners posted in different areas. Meanwhile, AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq visited the CMH in the state metropolis on Friday to inquire about the health of a machine operator who was airlifted to the hospital for treatment after getting seriously injured while conducting a landslide clearance operation in the top mountainous Neelum valley of AJK.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan