Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan announces to increase refugee allowance, Zakat & dowry funds for the poor & needy

MUZAFFARABAD, June 30 (SABAH): Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, has expressed the optimism that the real change for which the PTI has been struggling would take place soon in Azad Kashmir and the people would be able to materialize their dreams.

Addressing a budget session on Thursday, PM AJK Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan while hailing the budget proposed for the next financial year announced a host of new initiatives to improve lives of low income and underprivileged segments of the society. In view of the surging inflation and rising prices of essential commodities, the PM announced to increase refugee allowance, Zakat and dowry funds for the poor and needy. “I announce an increase of Rs. 1500 per person in the Refugees’ Sustenance Allowance, 3000 rupees zakat per month for poor and needy”, the PM AJK said adding that the dowry fund was also being increased to Rs. 75000.The PM also announced the appointment of Muftis in 5 districts and 17 tehsils. He said that Quran academies would be set up in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Bhimber. For the homeless, the PM said that the government was planning to construct flats for the poor and deserving people in collaboration with Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust (KORT).“In the first phase, 900 flat-style houses will be constructed for the deserving in Mirpur”, he added. “The land will be provided by the Azad Kashmir government and the project will be extended to 3,000 to 4,000 houses”, he said adding that 500 houses would be constructed in Mirpur for police personnel and the families of those martyred in terrorist incidents in Pakistan.

The Azad Kashmir government, he said, would pay 50 percent of the loss of the Bakarwal tribe caused by the snowfall in Neelam on June 22. The prime minister said that the government would provide 1000 thousand scholarships to deserving students. In order to boost small industry, the PM said that 1200 people would be trained in Punjab for the promotion of cottage industry. He said that the government was also planning to restore the Numberdari and Panchayat system in the state. He announced to establish, Rehmat-ul-Ulameen authority in the state to teach life of prophet Muhammad (SAW) to new generation and spread the Prophet’s message of peace, love and interfaith harmony. The PM while expressing solidarity with the people of the occupied Kashmir said that India must shun its policy of intransigence to pave a way for a peaceful solution of the Kashmir dispute. Terming Modi as a murderer of Kashmiris, the PM said that Modi’s hands were soaked with the blood of thousands of innocents.