Says Jammu and Kashmir is an indivisible entity

Tariq Naqash
Muzaffarabad, Oct 22: Raja Mohammad Farooq Haider was sworn in as 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) here on Thursday after being elected as leader of Legislative Assembly.
He was administered oath of office by PaK President Raja Zulqarnain Khan at the President’s House.
Earlier, Haider who contested for the prime minister’s office as a candidate of the reunified Muslim Conference secured 29 votes. His rival and outgoing (interim) Prime Minister Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan could bag only 19 votes in the 48-member house. Khan was jointly fielded by Peoples Party, Peoples Muslim League, MQM and Friends Group.
Addressing the Legislative Assembly after announcement of results, Haider while brushing aside allegations that any unconstitutional move had taken place in PaK, said the (political) change had occurred with the free will of people.

“This is one form of right to self-determination which we have exercised today. Making or breaking a government under the constitution is not an undemocratic step by any means,” said 54-year old outspoken leader, who is the first chief executive in six decades having been elected from district Muzaffarabad.
Regretting that an impression was being created that anti-Pakistan government was being installed in PaK under his leadership, Haider said, “I want to make it clear that such a thing can never happen. The differences of opinion with the federal government should not be misconstrued as anti-state sentiments.”
Expressing gratitude to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani for considering his proposal for amendments in the PaK’s interim constitution, commonly referred as Act 1974, he invited them to Muzaffarabad at the earliest.
He also thanked Nawaz Sharif for his help in sustaining the democratic process in PaK.
Promising clean administration, he vowed to uphold the supremacy of merit, law and justice. “The politics of regionalism was like cancer, which had badly affected this region,” he said and sought cooperation to eliminate the ills prevalent in the society.        
Waving a copy of the constitution, Haider expressed the hope that the courts would work within their ambit and let the executive do its job. “I will not allow opening of a parallel office of prime minister. There won’t be any compromise on this issue,” he said in a veiled reference to ‘judicial activism’.
He said Jammu and Kashmir was an indivisible entity and over 10 million inhabitants on both sides of Line of Control (LoC) won’t allow annexation of any part of it by any country.
Welcoming the empowerment of people of Gilgit-Baltistan, he said, “Terminologies like Governor and Chief Minister were objectionable and needed discussion.”
The outgoing premier Sardar Yaqoob, MC president Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, PPAJK president Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and representatives of PML, MQM and Friends Group also spoke on the occasion.