“Have progressed immensely and now enjoy highest literacy rate, lowest crime rate and gender parity and participation”
Sardar Masood Khan, President of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) while speaking to foreign diplomats at Muzaffarabad said that India has not implemented the United Nations Security Council resolutions ‘in order to perpetuate their illegitimate rule in the occupied territory’.
Responding to the questions of 23 foreign diplomats from Asia, Europe and Africa undergoing the 25th Junior Diplomatic Course at the Foreign Service Academy, Khan said, “the people of Azad Kashmir were traumatized because of the constant killing of their brothers and sisters in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and over the continuous hostile fire across the Line of Control killing innocent civilians in Azad Kashmir.”
He further said that ‘the people of IOK unanimously rejected India’s writ and were demanding freedom from the oppressive rule’ and that since 1972, India has been creating obstacles in the implementation of the mandate of United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which has been tasked by the UN to monitor the cease fire along the LOC.
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“In their communications with the UN Headquarters they do report about human rights violations to the UN Secretary General but regrettably they are not taking cognizance of the serious human right violations in IOK and across the LOC,” he said.
Khan told the participants that ‘Azad Kashmir has progressed immensely over the years and now we enjoy the highest literacy rate, lowest crime rate and gender parity and participation’.
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The Annual Development Budget for AJK has doubled this year and it is now officially a part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor with 4 dedicated projects announced for the region. This, Khan said, includes the Korat Hydro Power Project (720 MW), Kohala Hydro Power Project (1124 MW), Mansehra to Mirpur Expressway and a state of the art Industrial Zone in Mirpur.
The Government was focused on development in infrastructure, energy sector, tourism, telecommunication and agriculture,” said Khan. “Quality education and health are our main priorities”, he added.
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