DHIRKOT (AJK), July 18 (APP): Minister for Information,
Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid Monday said the Kashmiris would vote for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidates in July 21 elections by rejecting politics of agitation and sit-ins.

This would show that they wanted to continue march towards progress and prosperity under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he added.

Addressing a party workers rally organized here by PML-N
candidate from LA-13 Raja Iftikhar Ayub here, the minister said change in the country would come only through the ballot, and not through sit-ins and conspiracies. The PML-N would come to power in the AJK through the power of the ballot, he added.

He said the Kashmir issue could be resolved under the vision
of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who also had the vision to resolve the issues of loadshedding and unemployment in AJK.

The minister said the people of Dhirkot had flooded the
roads and streets of Dhirkot and they had blocked the way of looters and plunderers. Today’s big and historic rally could
be termed a revenge of the people. Through the mammoth gathering, the PML-N workers and supporters expressed their love and support for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N, he added.

He said the people of Pakistan loved Nawaz Sharif for his
landmark achievements as Prime Minister. Since 1947 to 1998, no other leader could make the Indian leadership to admit reality about Kashmir.

He said it was Nawaz Sharif who invited Indian Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lahore where he admitted that Kashmir was a disputed territory and its peaceful resolution was imperative for durable peace in the region.

The minister said the coming three days were very important.

On July 19 Accession to Pakistan Day would be observed while on July 20 ‘Black Day’ would be observed to convey Pakistanis anguish and dismay to India over the killings of innocent Kashmiris in the held Valley.

July 21 would be the day to vote for the PML-N and ensure
Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan and pressurize India to stop
human rights abuses in Occupied Kashmir and resolve the long-standing issue as per aspirations of the Kashmiris, he added.

“The people of Azad Kashmir should vote for the PML-N on July 21 for accession of Kashmir to Pakistan and stoppage of Indian atrocities in Indian occupied Kashmir,” he reiterated.

Pervaiz Rashid said the PML-N’s victory in AJK elections
would give a message to the politicians of sit-ins and conspiracies that the people of both Pakistan and Azad Kashmir would not tolerate plots against their favourite leader Nawaz Sharif.

He said the Neelam-Jhelum hydro power project, which could not be completed during 10 years of Musharraf and five years of the Pakistan People’s Party rule, was now nearing completion thanks to the priority given by the present government.

He said efforts were made to stop the country’s march towards progress and prosperity under Nawaz Sharif as the enemies of the country were against construction of motorways and expressways from Khunjerab to Gawadar and Karachi.

He said an electricity generation project utilizing the
Thar coal would start producing cheap power by next year.

He said education, health, roads, power and gas were the
major issues, which would be resolved by the PML-N after coming to power.

The minister said it was strange that during Pervez Musharraf
regime, when terrorism and loadshedding were order of the day no sit-ins were held. But sit-ins were staged against Nawaz Sharif to stop him from working on his agenda of progress and development.

The PPP, he said, was also disturbed as Nawaz Sharif lived in
the hearts of people. His popularity could be gauged from the big election rallies of the Kashmiri people, he added.

Earlier, Pervaiz Rashid and Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister Dr Asif Kirmani felicitated Dr Aleem, former advisor to AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, for joining the PML-N.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said the PML-N always fulfilled its promises.

He said executing development projects was the hallmark
PML-N governments. The PML-N had the manifesto to improve living standards of the people.

The PML-N after winning the elections, he said, would serve
the AJK people, who desired development in their area on the pattern of Rawalpindi and Lahore. They did not like the progress on the pattern of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, he added.

Dr Asif Kirmani said he did not witness any election campaign
of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, PPP and Muslim Conference in AJK as they had no manifesto.

ISLAMABAD July 18 (APP): Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Monday said statement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan about nation’s welcoming martial laws in the country is shameful.

In a reaction to Imran Khan’s statement on Sunday at public gathering in AJK, the minister said, his statement is a conspiracy against national cohesion and solidarity. “It shows his ill wishes against democracy as he has violated article six of the Constitution by issuing this statement.”

“Pakistani nation never welcomed dictators and those who distributed sweats after October 1999 coup by Pervez Musharraf were a few of his cronies to create an impression that people had welcomed his martial law,” he added.

He said political parties and people of Pakistan rendered unforgettable sacrifices for democracy and Imran Khan was either ignorant of the history or he was not comfortable with democracy.

He said only the continuity of democracy can ensure transparency, merit and rule of law in the country as four martial laws of the past had dragged the country to the verge of destruction.

ISLAMABAD July 18 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain Monday called for changing the traditional mode of thinking for a creative and innovative approach towards science to come at par with developed countries.

The President made the remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 41st International Nathiagali Summer College on Physics and Contemporary Needs.

President Mamnoon called for immediate measures for
changing the curriculum to attain scientific progress.

The President lauded the efforts of Pakistan Atomic
Energy Commission (PAEC) over the past four decades for
hosting the Nathiagali Summer College for the development of science and technology in the country.

The President said that PAEC and similar institutions
should present viable recommendations to the Government in the light of their experiences to encourage the children to pursue education in these disciplines from their early academic life.

He said nations have excelled in the fields of industry,
trade, defence and economy on the basis of science and
technology and creative thinking.

“In this respect, private and government educational
institutions need to pay attention toward the field of
science,” the President said.

The President said that young generation was intelligent
and talented but there was a need to guide them in the right
direction. He said if they were imparted proper training then
they can play a distinctive role in the development of
country.

President Mamnoon said that it was everyone’s
responsibility to revitalize country’s academic and research
institutions by inculcating scientific thinking in the new
generation.

He called for providing them with all required resources
and facilities to enable them pursue research activities in
true academic spirit.

The President stressed upon the need to further improve
the condition of existing libraries in Pakistan. He called for
establishing new libraries while linking existing ones with
leading libraries of the world to help young scientists and
researchers access information from around the world.
The President noted that the youngsters were often able
to generate new and useful ideas while working on various
research projects but due to financial limitations and lack of
opportunities, they were unable to introduce these inventions at industrial level.

“If we can establish strong linkages between our
academic and scientific institutions with the industrial
sector then we can make further progress in the scientific
field,” the President said.

President Mamnoon said Summer College and other such
research institutions should come forward and present
suggestions to the government and educational institutions so as to put the country on the path to progress.

The President noted with appreciation that a large number of institutions affiliated with education and research were attending the event.

Director General Strategic Plans Division Lt. General Mazhar Jamil, Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
(PAEC) Muhammad Naeem and senior officials were present.

DHIRKOT (AJK), July 18 (APP): Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Dr Asif Kirmani Monday said those who had denied rights to the AJK people had now become ‘isolated’ as the ‘lion’ was roaring across Azad Kashmir.

Addressing a meeting of PML-N workers here, he said the
‘seasonal birds’ of other parties had vanished from the political scene.

The arrogant politician from Dhirkot, he said, had compromised on the rights of AJK people and his politics would end on July 21.

Today’s huge gathering was proof of the ensuing PML-N success on the polling day. The elements scared of PML-N’s popularity in AJk were firing on its rallies, he added.

He said there was no difference between Modi and Chaudhry Abdul Majeed as Indian occupation forces were killing innocent Kashmiris across the Line of Control while the Majeed government had martyred PML-N workers here in the AJK.

Referring to joining of Sardar Abrar, nephew of Sardar Qayyum Khan, to the PML-N, he said even the close relatives of that person had left him.

Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan was a great leader like Sardar
Ibrahim and Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas but his son had failed to come up to the expectations of the Kashmiris, who had rejected him, he added.

He said on July 21, the AJK people would bury his politics
forever by voting for the PML-N candidates, including Iftikhar
Ayub.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was a symbol of
progress and prosperity, who had brought $ 46 billion Chinese investment to Pakistan, whose benefits would also reach the AJK.

He said the PML-N believed in rule of law and the
Constitution and this was also the vision of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

He said the opponents of PML-N opened firing on its workers
in Haveli district martyring its two activists and injuring its
candidate Chaudhry Abdul Aziz seriously, a PML-N rally in
Bagh district was attacked while its candidate Mushtaq Minhas survived an assassination attempt. In Nakial, houses of PML-N workers were attacked and their property damaged, he added.

He said the PML-N had rejected the Judicial Commission
constituted by the AJK government and would investigate the matter in a transparent manner after coming to power.

He asked the AJK Chief ElectioN Commissioner to take notice of use of official protocol by the AJK President in election rallies.

He said ‘Tiger’, the PML-N’s election symbol was a symbol of
progress and prosperity.

Kirmani said on July 9, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly
condemned the Indian excesses in the Occupied Kashmir and Pakistani representative in the United Nations raised the issue at the UN.

Moreover, a special meeting of federal cabinet was held in
Lahore to condemn Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir and a decisionwas made to observe July 20 as Black Day.

He said a strong message should go across the LoC and the only way for the purpose was to vote for the PML-N candidates on July 21 Legislative Assembly elections. When like the Federal Government, the PML-N would be in power in the AJK, the Kashmir issue would be highlighted and resolved as per the vision of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he added.

He said time was not far off when a Kohala-like bridge
would be built to link the people of Azad and Occupied Kashmir so that they could meet their brethren across the LOC.

He hoped that the people of Kashmir would vote for the PML-N to transform the AJK into a paradise on earth.

Kirmani said he went all across the Kashmir and saw that
both the PPP and PTI could not even begin their election campaign.

The two parties could not survive without being in power, but they did not have an election manifesto or record of service to the people, he added.

He warned that those who were conspiring to rig the elections on July 21 would face dire consequences.

After the victory in elections, he said, the PML-N workers from across the AJK would gather at Kohala bridge and then march towards Muzaffarabad to celebrate their victory.

Kirmani said at a time when the Modi government was killing
Kashmiris in held valley, Abdul Majeed government was doing the same in Azad Kashmir.

They killed workers of PML-N and injured the party candidate
Chaudhry Aziz with bullets, he added.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will not be able to travel from Lahore to Islamabad on Tuesday morning due to infection in incisions in his leg.

A statement issued by the PM’s Office said that due to
infection, the Prime Minister was suffering from fever.

“The doctors are treating him and he will travel to Islamabad
as soon as the fever subsides,” the PM’s Office said.

The Prime Minister is in Lahore since July 9 after he returned
from London where he underwent a heart surgery.

MUZAFFARABAD Jul 18: Over 2.6 million people will exercise their right to vote in Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s elections, taking place on Thursday.

A total of 2,674,586 people 1,483,747 men and 1,190,839 women will be moving towards polling stations on the Election Day (July 21) from AJK’s nine districts and 12 constituencies of Kashmiri refugees, spreading over four provinces of Pakistan to cost their votes, according to data released by Election Commission of AJK.

District Kotli surpasses AJK’s all districts in number of voters with 442,839 people 246,230 male and 196,609 female voters to cast their votes from its five constituencies where in total 47 candidates are vying. Though the total number of political parties in AJK stands at 42, the major contest in different constituencies of Kotli and other districts as well as the constituencies reserved for refugees is expected among AJK’s top political parties, including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf and All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference.

Kotli is followed by AJK’s Capital Muzaffarabad in voters list. Around 429,276 voters, including 191,112 females set to cast their votes from its six constituencies where in total 67 candidates are in the run.

Vote wise district Poonch is the third largest district of AJK with a total of 310,968 registered voters, which include 141,334 female voters. A total of 51 candidates from four constituencies of this district will be trying their luck on the polling day.

The total number of registered voters in district Mirpur is 233,518, which includes 127,274 male and 106,244 female voters. Here a total of 48 contenders will be challenging each other from the four constituencies.

A total of 45 contestants will be facing each other from district Bhimber’s three constituencies, which has 243,165 voters 133,727 male and 109,438 female voters.

From district Sudhnoti, which has two constituencies around 166,143 people 91,283 men and 74,860 women will exercise their right to vote, whereas from district Bagh, which has three constituencies for its 232,572 voters 126,326 male and 106,246 female voters, a total
of 25 candidates are competing. District Neelam and district Havelli (Kahuta) have one constituency each for their 96,584 (52,479 male, 44,105 female) and 80,637 (43,813 male, 36,824 female) voters, respectively. From Neelam eight candidates are competing, while the same number of candidates is also in the run from Havelli.

A total of 99 contestants are contending for the 12 constituencies, spreading over four provinces of Pakistan where 438,884 people 254,817 men and 184,067 women will use their voting right.