Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday said that Kashmir cause was close to his heart and vowed that the Pakistan People’s Party’s government would continue to raise the issue at international fora till its resolution.
He was addressing a large gathering after inaugurating the Dhan Gali bridge linking Azad Kashmir with Punjab, and the completion of Mangla Dam Raising Project. Prime Minister Gilani lauded the people living along the Mangla Lake for sacrificing their ancestral lands for the project, which he said, would go a long way in national economic development.
Gilani said it was his eighth visit to Azad Kashmir and recalled that he had promised not to announce any development project during the election campaign to ensure free and fair electoral process. He said that he believed Kashmir to be his second home and assured that he would continue to work for the betterment of its people and provision of best possible facilities at their doorsteps.
He said that he was pleased to inaugurate two very vital projects of Kashmir and said these would usher in an era of prosperity and economic development for the people of the area. He particularly appreciated Azad Kashmir’s present and former leadership sitting at the dais side by side and said it was a symbol of their political maturity, unification and solidarity.
He said such unity would go a long way in serving the masses. Prime Minister Gilani announced an Information Technology University at Kotli and a Cadet College at Dadyal. He directed that the people belonging to the Azad Kashmir, be appointed at Pakistan’s embassies abroad. He also announced for setting up a special desk at the Islamabad Airport to facilitate the people from Azad Kashmir.
He directed Baitul Maal Chairman Zamurad Khan to open a ‘Sweet Home’ for the orphan children of the area. Gilani appreciated youth, leadership and workers of the Pakistan People’s Party for organising a huge gathering that reflected the deep roots of party amongst these people.
Azad Kashmir President Sardar Yaqub Khan, Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and Kashmir Affairs Minister Manzoor Watoo also spoke on the occasion. Punjab Governor Latif Khosa and Water and Power Minister Naveed Qamar were also present. Former president Raja Zulqarnain and former prime ministers Sardar Attique Ahmed and Barrister Sultan Mahmood also joined them.
