Rs 23 Billion Subsidy Package - PM Shehbaz's Gift For Kashmiris: Ch Anwar

Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq on Monday termed the Rs 23 billion subsidy package a gift from the Government of Pakistan for the Kashmiris to reduce the power tariff and flour prices

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th May, 2024) Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq on Monday termed the Rs 23 billion subsidy package a gift from the Government of Pakistan for the Kashmiris to reduce the power tariff and flour prices.

A compassionate Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while realizing the sufferings of the AJK people very kindly approved the package to extend maximum relief the them, he said while addressing the news conference.

Ch Anwar said that the Federal Government had provided full support to the AJK by allocating Rs 10 billion from the Social Protection Fund that would be transferred to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bank.

He said that India attempted to create chaos and mayhem in the AJK but failed due to the people who could not tolerate Indian interference in their internal matters.

PM Anwar-ul-Haq said that some 100 policemen were injured and a sub-inspector embraced martyrdom while performing their duties during the protests.

"Today the Prime Minister of Pakistan called an important meeting on the critical issue, which was attended by all the stakeholders, and amicably settled the matter," he added.

Ch Anwar thanked PM Shehbaz Sharif on behalf of the AJK and the coalition government that on his instructions the longstanding problems were solved in minutes.

"The consumers will be charged Rs 3 per unit for using upto 100 units, Rs 5 per unit for over 100 to 300 units and Rs 6 for over 300 units whereas the flour price per 40 kg bag has been fixed at Rs 2,000," he said.

The notifications, he added, had been issued. It would be permanent relief for the AJK people as it would be included in the budget for the nest financial year, he said.

At present, he claimed, "the Azad Kashmir has less privileges than the four provinces of Pakistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan".

Anwar said that his government had curtailed the budget of Prime Minister House by 50 percent for the first time in the AJK's history of Azad Kashmir, whereas the official cars had been taken back from the ministers.

"There is a coalition government, every party has its own ideology, manifesto and agenda but all of them are now on the same page for the development and prosperity of the region," he added.

To a question, he said that the financial assistance of Rs 10 million would be given to the family of the martyred sub-inspector, besides an award on the foundation day.

The AJK PM said the Neelum- Jhelum and Mangala hydropower projects were being handled by the Federation, whereas the per unit power rate for the AJK by it was the lowest in South Asia.

AJK ministers including Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Malik Zafar, Mian Abdul Waheed, Sardar Javed Ayub, Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim, Ahmad Raza Qadri, Abdul Majid Khan, Javed Badhanvi, Chaudhry Azhar Sadiq, Sardar Faheem Akhtar Rabbani, Nisar Ansar Abdali, Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, Pir Mazharul Haq, and Ms. Nabila Ayub were also present at the press conference.