Raja Azhar playing a remarkable role as a bridge between the media and the Government, Speakers

Islamabad: A grand farewell ceremony was organized by Chief Executive of Jammu and Kashmir Daily Aamir Mehboob in honour of the outgoing Director General of Information Azad Kashmir Raja Azhar Iqbal at Grand Marquee Islamabad today.

Besides President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, the farewell ceremony was attended by former ministers, bureaucrats, office bearers of National Press Club Islamabad and senior journalists hailing from across Azad Kashmir and Pakistan .

It was for the first time in the history of Azad Kashmir that an officer had received recognition on such an unprecedented level at the time of his retirement.

Speakers on the occasion paid eulogizing tributes to the outgoing tDirector General of Information and hailed him for playing a remarkable role as a bridge between the media and the government.

Appreciating his professionalism and bureaucratic skills and contribution, the President AJK Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry said that Raja Azhar Iqbal was retiring after outstanding service. ” Raja Azhar Iqbal is a professional bureaucrat, we still benefit from his skills”, he said, adding that he had used his skill effectively to promote the government’s image as well as highlighting the issue of Kashmir.

“I have had a personal, journalistic and governmental relationship with Raja Azhar Iqbal’, he said.

“The way the journalist community is sending him off on retirement, today, is unparalleled and unprecedented”, the president said.

“A civil servant has to retire one day but a professional bureaucrat like Raja Azhar Iqbal is always remembered for his selfless services”, he said, adding that Raja Azhar Iqbal was retiring at a time when the Kashmir issue was going through a critical phase. India, he said tried to hoodwink international community by hosting G-20 working group meeting in Srinagar but failed miserably. He thanked China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman and Turkey for boycotting the G20 conference.

Chief Editor of Jammu and Kashmir Daily Aamir Mehboob said that the services of Raja Azhar Iqbal would be remembered for a long time.

He expressed his profound gratitude to the outgoing DGPR for resolving the problems of the state media and making it financially stable.

“Today we are bidding farewell to him with a heavy heart, but our relationship with him will always remain constant”, he said, adding that it was a great honor for a bureaucrat to be remembered with good words even after retirement.

Information Secretary Ansir Yaqoob Khan said,” I am very happy to see that the media organizations are bidding such a wonderful farewell to a public servant on his retirement”. Raja Azhar Iqbal, he said, had equipped the Department of Information to meet the modern challenges besides preparing an excellent professional team which was ready to deal with all kinds of challenges.

Addressing the event, Director General Information Raja Azhar Iqbal said,” Public relations is a difficult task but today I feel elated to be retiring from this challenging job” .

“All my brothers from the journalist community have an equal role in my success as that of my official team that worked with me day in and day out”, he said.

The DGPR thanked the President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry for his appreciation and said that he had always guided him and appreciated his good work.

He also thanked President Central Union of Journalists Afzal Butt and his entire team for their full cooperation with the Information Department.

He also thanked the hosts for arranging such a wonderful farewell ceremony.