Bagh((National Times)- Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Saturday that the PML-N would form the government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) with a two-thirds majority.
He made the remarks while addressing a rally in Bagh ahead of the third phase of elections in the region. The third phase was originally slated to be held in the 11 constituencies of Poonch division, but will now only be held in its Bagh and Haveli districts due to law and order concerns.
Addressing the rally, Sanaullah said that in the first two phases, the PML-N had secured 24 seats. He said that six more seats were required for a two-thirds majority government.
Expressing confidence that the public will vote for his PML-N, the minister asserted that four more seats would be added following the August 10 polls, while five more would be added when polls would be held in the rest of Poonch Division.
“The PML-N will form a government with a two-thirds majority. The people of Kashmir have trusted PML-N. They have trusted Mian Nawaz Sharif. They have trusted the development in Punjab,” he said.
He urged supporters to show up and cast their votes on Monday to help PML-N secure a victory, promising that a PML-N government would prioritise development projects.
He also said that once in power, the PML-N government would meet with members of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The JAAC, which has been demanding the abolishment of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for refugees from Indian-held Kashmir, has been holding protests in the region for several weeks now.
“When this government will be set up, with a two-thirds majority, they will sit with [JAAC] representatives. Their first task will be to resolve this issue.”
He said that 99 per cent of JAAC protesters were “our brothers”, adding that they were patriotic Kashmiris and Pakistanis.
He added that the remainder were focused on creating divisions within the nation.
Sanaullah said India was trying to create misunderstandings between Pakistan and Kashmiris after failing to achieve its objectives through direct confrontation, adding that such attempts would never succeed.
He urged cooperation between a future PML-N government and the people of AJK in “exposing and defeating” those divisive elements.
“We will defeat them and we will make Kashmir prosperous,” Sanaullah said.
He further added that in the past, all large-scale development projects in AJK were only completed when the PML-N was in power in the Centre and in the region.
He urged the people of Bagh to go out and vote on Monday, stressing that “all of Bagh should be involved in the government”.
He added that PML-N founder Nawaz Sharif would fulfil his promises to the people of AJK by nominating one of the three PML-N candidates in Bagh as the future prime minister of AJK.
Sanaullah added that Nawaz has already mentioned that he would sit down with the future AJK prime minister to discuss development projects in the region.
Highlighting federal support, Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government had approved a Rs23 billion special package for AJK in 2024 and provided wheat subsidy to facilitate the people.
He said the prime minister had also approved five Daanish Schools for AJK, while PML-N intended to take forward the public welfare and development model being pursued in Punjab.
