Ministers, lawmakers from AJK, GB campaign for PML-N in centre

–AJK PM, GB CM hold meetings in twin cities at expense of public money to up the PML-N momentum

ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Muslim Nawaz (PML-N) rules in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), lawmakers from the two areas including the AJK prime minister and GB CM actively campaigned for their party in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and others parts of the country at the expense of public money, Pakistan Today has learnt.

The ministers, advisers, parliamentary secretaries of GB and AJK are attending the corner meetings, public gatherings, rallies, and other events of PML-N in the twin cities. Kashmir House and GB house are fully booked by these lawmakers who are living here for the last two weeks to participate in the election campaign of PML-N.

“Chief Minister of GB Hafeezur Rehman and other ministers have held a number of meetings with natives of GB living in Alipur, I-10 Islamabad, Rawalpindi’s Satellite Town and others parts of twin cities requesting the residents to vote for their party. All the ministers are campaigning for the party at the expense of government as they all have visited the capital along with their vehicles, drivers and assistants,” said a source in the party.

Similarly, the ministers including Prime Minister AJK are also actively participating in election campaigns of the party in various parts of the country.

“Bureaucrats are currently running affairs of the government both in AJK and GB in the absence of the ministers. The CM and other ministers are here at a time when thousands of people have badly been affected by the floodwater in Ghizer district of GB besides swathing houses, cultivated and other land, roads and other properties,” he said.

Apart from the ministers to various Kashmiri populated areas in various cities last week, AJK Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider along with his ministers had also visited Karachi to speak at a seminar held to discuss the issues of the Kashmiri diaspora. However, the main purpose of the officials’ visit was to influence the Kashmiri community to support their party – PML-N – whose candidates need their votes in some constituencies.

GB Deputy Speaker Jafarullah Khan addressed corner meetings of the PML-N in I-10, I-9 and some other sectors of Islamabad.

According to the official sources, GB CM has, however, left for Gilgit to visit the flood affected areas on Saturday while his ministers, advisers and coordinators are still here to attend election campaigns.

Apart from the ministers, lawmakers, heads of other political parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) are also in the capital to support their parties. PPP’s GB Chapter President Advocate Amjad, PTI’s GB President Raja Jalal are also holding meetings in the selected areas of the twin cities to support their party candidates.

As elections in GB and AJK are not held with the centre, the heads and leaders of the political parties in the respective areas are taking much interest in 2018 general election as the change of face in the centre will ultimately affect their politics in future. Usually, whichever party forms government in the centre, ultimately forms government in AJK and GB later through largely influenced elections in these areas.