AJK PM Gilani Hails Punjab’s Development Model, Vows to Replicate Progress in Kashmir

Iftikhar Gilani Pays Tribute to Syed Ali Gilani on Death Anniversary Calls for International Action on Kashmiris’ Right to Self-Determination

By News Desk Last updated Aug 31, 2026

LAHORE/MUZAFFARABAD (Staff Reporter): Newly elected Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Iftikhar Gilani, met Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on Monday and discussed development and reform priorities for the region.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif congratulated Iftikhar Gilani on his election as Prime Minister of AJK. Gilani thanked the chief minister and the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for their support.

The AJK prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to implementing a 100-day reform agenda aimed at accelerating development and improving governance in Azad Kashmir.

Gilani also praised Maryam Nawaz for what he described as historic development projects in Punjab, saying that Punjab’s development initiatives could serve as a model and source of guidance for the progress of AJK.

He said that, under the guidance of PML-N leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, he wanted to transform Azad Kashmir into an example of development and good governance.

Gilani Pays Tribute to Syed Ali Gilani

Meanwhile, in a separate message issued on the death anniversary of veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Gilani, Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani paid tribute to the late Hurriyat leader, describing him as a principled, steadfast and determined personality.

He said Syed Ali Gilani had consistently confronted what he described as oppression and repression by Indian forces with courage and determination. He noted that his slogan, “We are Pakistanis, Pakistan is ours,” remains a popular slogan in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The AJK prime minister said Syed Ali Gilani spent much of his life in detention but never compromised on his principles. He described him as a symbol of resistance whose life was dedicated to the struggle of the Kashmiri people.

Gilani said the late leader was not merely a political figure but also a symbol of determination, perseverance and ideological commitment who inspired generations of Kashmiris.

According to the AJK prime minister, Syed Ali Gilani’s struggle centred on highlighting what he described as the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, which he said has been recognized in United Nations resolutions.

He said Syed Ali Gilani’s life offered a lesson in patience, perseverance and steadfastness in upholding principles, adding that future generations would remember him as an example of sacrifice, determination and commitment.

Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani called upon the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), human rights organizations and other international institutions to take notice of the situation in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and play their role in securing what he described as the Kashmiri people’s fundamental right to self-determination.

AJK Acting President Chaudhry Tariq Farooq Pays Tribute to Syed Ali Gilani

Acting President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, paid tribute to veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani on his death anniversary, saying that he devoted his entire life to the struggle for the freedom of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

In his special message, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq said Syed Ali Gilani was a powerful voice for the people of occupied Kashmir and endured imprisonment and hardships throughout his life. He said Gilani spent the last 12 years of his life in poor health while under detention by India, but remained steadfast in his principles.

The Acting President said that despite requiring intensive medical care, Syed Ali Gilani was kept under house arrest, but his ideological commitment to Pakistan and the Kashmir freedom movement remained unshaken. He described Gilani as a symbol of courage and perseverance who remained committed to his mission until his last breath.

Chaudhry Tariq Farooq reaffirmed that the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir would continue Syed Ali Gilani’s mission and struggle for the freedom of occupied Kashmir from what he described as India’s “illegal and oppressive occupation.”