Daily Times

MUZAFFARABAD: Raja Farooq Haider, who is nominated as the Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister, has expressed firm resolve to root out corruption from the state.

While addressing a huge gathering after arriving from Islamabad here at the state capital on Friday, Raja Farooq, who is also Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) AJK president, said that devolution of power through local government elections would be his first priority.

He thanked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other parliamentary members for nominating him as the AJK prime minister. He said that he would try to deliver according to expectations by upholding merit and justice. “We will introduce good governance in the liberated area,” he said.

He assured Kashmiri brethren, living in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, of his government support in their just cause of freedom from the Indian occupation. He said that Kashmiri people had rendered unprecedented sacrifices for their right to self-determination and their sacrifices would not go waste.

Criticising the rival Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), he was of the view that corruption malpractices and failure of institutions were the factors behind the PPP defeat in recent elections. Kashmiri people have completely ousted the PPP through their vote power, he maintained.

Earlier, Raja Farooq was given a warm reception at Kohala after arriving from Islamabad. People who had gathered to receive him chanted slogans in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Raja Farooq and the PML-N. People along the both sides of Kohala-Muzaffarabad Road including men, women and children warmly greeted the PM-designate, and showered flower petals.