ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday urged all the stakeholders to exercise restraint and resolve the issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) through dialogue and mutual consultation.
He stressed that the political parties, state institutions and the people of AJK should act responsibly so that hostile elements could not exploit the situation to their benefit.
The president expressed these views during a meeting with a delegation of members of the AJK Legislative Assembly belonging to Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release. The delegation briefed the president about recent happenings and unfortunate developments in AJK.
Talking to members of the AJK Legislative Assembly, the president highlighted that the demands of the people of AJK should be addressed as per law, adding that he would take up/discuss the grievances of the people of AJK with the Prime Minister of Pakistan to find a way out of the current situation. He further emphasized that priority should be accorded to the socio-economic uplift of AJK, with special focus on the development of health, education, tourism and infrastructure.
He underlined the need to bring the far-flung areas at par with other developed areas of the country. The president regretted the current situation and offered condolences over the unfortunate death of the police officer and prayed for swift recovery of all those who were injured in recent clashes.
