Nawaz promises airport, hospitals for Mirpur ahead of AJK elections

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif on Friday took aim at Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari while unveiling an ambitious development agenda for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, urging his political rival not to take election rhetoric personally and promising to replicate the Punjab model of governance in the region if his party is voted to power.

Addressing a massive election rally in Mirpur, about 258 kilometers from Muzaffarabad, alongside Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, he said political competition should remain healthy and free from personal enmity.

“Bilawal should not take political remarks personally. This is Kashmir, not Kashmir, and this is Mirpur, not Mirpurkhas,” he remarked in an apparent response to recent speeches made by the PPP chairman during his election campaign in AJK.

With the polls just days away, Nawaz sought to present the PML-N as the party with the strongest development record in the region, promising a “new era of development, prosperity and modern infrastructure” for AJK.

He said every major development project undertaken in the region under a future PML-N government would reflect the party’s vision, adding that his government would focus on modern transport, quality education, healthcare, urban infrastructure and public welfare.

“The people of Mirpur deserve the same level of facilities that are available in Punjab,” Nawaz said. “If electric buses can operate in Lahore and Islamabad, there is no reason why people in AJK should be deprived of similar services.”

He pledged to personally oversee major development projects in AJK, saying the future of the region would remain one of his top priorities.

Nawaz also announced that every meritorious student in AJK would be provided with a laptop to improve access to modern education and digital technology, describing youth empowerment as a central pillar of the party’s agenda.

Recalling his long-time association with Mirpur, the former Prime Minister said he was delighted to return to the city after many years and lauded the enthusiasm of the gathering, terming the affection of the people of Mirpur unmatchable.

Highlighting his party’s performance in previous governments, the former prime minister challenged his political opponents to identify any administration that has done more developmental work in AJK than the PML-N.

“Wherever you see big development projects in Azad Kashmir, you will find the imprint of the PML-N,” he asserted.

CM Maryam, making one of her most notable campaign appearances in AJK, described herself as a “Kashmiri girl”, saying her paternal and maternal grandparents belonged to the region.

“I consider myself Kashmiri in heart and soul,” she said. “Some people criticized me for saying this, but I am proud of my Kashmiri identity.”

Expressing concern over Mirpur’s civic infrastructure, Maryam said she was saddened by the deteriorating roads and argued that Kashmiris, who have made immense contributions to Pakistan’s economy and development, deserved much better public facilities.

She announced that a future PML-N government in AJK would provide 10 modern electric buses to Mirpur and reiterated Nawaz’s commitment to establish an airport of international standards in the city.

“Nawaz Sharif has always honored the promises he made to the people,” she said.

The Punjab Chief Minister also promised to extend Punjab’s flagship social programs to AJK, including modern hospitals, mobile health services, free medicines delivered to households, ration cards, welfare schemes and other public welfare initiatives.

Without naming Bilawal, Maryam criticized rival political parties for making big promises during election campaigns but transferring responsibility for governance to the federal government after taking office.

She also claimed that many highways and roads used by supporters to reach the Mirpur rally were constructed during previous PML-N governments.

Reaffirming the party’s election platform, Maryam said a PML-N government would ensure that the people of AJK enjoy the same development opportunities and public services as the citizens of Punjab.

Earlier, AJK PML-N President Shah Ghulam Qadir, Senior Vice President Tariq Farooq and other party leaders addressed the gathering, urging voters to support the party in the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections and promising accelerated development in the region under a PML-N government.