AJK president

Masood Khan, a retired diplomat, has reportedly been nominated by the PM Pakistan for president AJK slot. Masood might have been a capable diplomat; however, he has no experience of AJK affairs. The contention that he can be helpful in projecting Kashmir issue favourably for Pakistan/AJK is also not very valid. What has he really achieved in this regard during his UN tenure? There are constraints on the Kashmir issue within which we have to operate internationally. Although he hails from Rawalakot, the people of AJK people do not even know that he belongs to the state. He is not even a registered voter in the state. The AJK High court has now ordered for the registration of his vote, otherwise he would have been registered through a presidential ordinance. A person-specific amendment to the AJK constitution was also being contemplated in this regard.

This amounts to excessive interference by the PML-N leadership in AJK affairs. I feel the PML-N AJK leadership should be free to deal with matters like electing the new president and forming the cabinet. Too much interference by Faryal Talpur in the PPP tenure greatly contributed towards the unpopularity and fall of their government in the recent AJK elections. Already the AJK premier has run into the difficulties in forming a cabinet. The PML-N’s senior leadership should be given a free hand in electing the new president of AJK.

Air Cdre (r) Mohammad Yaqoob Khan

Rawalpindi