The Government of Pakistan has directed the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government to make arrangement for holding Pakistan-style local bodies elections in the state by the end of this year. Pakistan has successfully completed first term of the local government system, and the schedule for the second term has been announced.
The AJK government has refused to accept the local government system in its recent form, and this was the major reason that local bodies elections had not been held in the state for the last couple of years.
Taking notice of the non-existence of the local government system, the Government of Pakistan directed the AJK government to introduce this system in the state with immediate effect.
On Saturday last, AJK President Sardar Muhammad Anwar Khan was called to Rawalpindi in emergency to attend a meeting participated by President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other key officials.
The meeting decided to introduce the system of local bodies in Azad Kashmir and directed the AJK president to take steps to this effect.
Sources told Sana that the Government of Pakistan will ask the AJK government to formally soon introduce this system in the state. The appointment of the AJK Chief Election Commissioner will also be made soon so that the Election Commission should take preparatory measures for such polls, the sources added.
They also said, on condition of anonymity, that a notification was likely to be issued on Monday about the appointment of former Justice Riaz Akhtar Chaudhry as AJK Chief Election Commissioner. After the appointment of the CEC, the schedule for local bodies elections in eight districts of Azad Kashmir will be announced soon.
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