PM chairs PPP, PML-Q meeting; urges for ensuring free, fair elections in AJK
ISLAMABAD, June 15 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday stressed upon all the democratic parties to ensure free and fair elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He asked Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo to take every possible measure for maintaining complete transparency in the elections.
He also emphasized the need of political decency, tolerance and accommodation by all the political parties participating in the elections.
The Prime Minister expressed these views during a joint meeting participated by the senior leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) here at the PM House on Wednesday afternoon.
It was an extra-ordinary meeting of two parties i.e. PPP and PML (Q) stalwarts for the first time under the Prime Minister’s chairmanship. It was observed that this meeting will bring a paradigm shift in the politics of AJK region particularly in the coming elections in Azad Kashmir.
Senior Minister and Minister for Defence Production Ch Pervaiz Elahi assured that his party will back the PPP candidates and stressed upon the need to work out a joint strategy to win the elections with a big margin.
The Prime Minister set up a four-member Committee comprising Ch Pervaiz Elahi, Ch Wajahat Hussain, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo and and Raja Pervez Ashraf to work out a joint strategy of canvassing in AJK elections.
The meeting was attended by Ch Pervaiz Elahi and Ch Wajahat Hussain from the PML (Q) while the PPP was represented by Minister for Kashmir Affairs Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah and MNAs Qamar Zaman Kaira, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Tariq Tarar, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Imtiaz Safdar Warraich and Ms Samina Mushtaq Paganwala.