Muzaffarabad (PID): On the occasion of Pakistan Day, the prime minister of the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan, and the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Barrister Khalid Khurshid inaugurated the Gilgit-Muzaffarabad Bus Service.
With the inauguration of the bus service, the restoration of historical links between the people of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan has begun.
Gilgit Muzaffarabad bus service has been started by the joint efforts of the governments of the two units of the Kashmir region as per the vision of prime minister Azad Kashmir Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan and chief minister Gilgit Baltistan Barrister Khalid Khurshid.
The launch of the bus service will promote harmony, cultural, social, and regional connectivity, industry, and tourism along with the restoration of historical ties between the people of the two regions.
The inauguration ceremony of the Gilgit-Muzaffarabad Bus Service was held at New Prime Minister House Muzaffarabad. Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Barrister Khalid Khurshid was the chief guest of the ceremony.
Gilgit-Baltistan Interior Minister Shamsul Haque, Azad Kashmir Government Ministers Ali Shan Soni, Chaudhry Muhammad Akbar Ibrahim, Chaudhry Maqbool Gujjar, Akmal Hussain Sargala, parliamentary secretary for transport Javed Butt, Azad Kashmir government spokesperson professor Taqdees Gilani, parliamentary secretary Asim Sharif Butt and chairman prime minister inspection and implementation commission Pir Mazhar Saeed including government secretaries, government officials, lawyers and a large number of civil society participated.
In the opening ceremony, the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan presented Gilgit-Baltistan’s traditional Jabba and cap to prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, while the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir presented gifts to the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Azad Kashmir prime minister Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan said today is a very important day for the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. On this day in 1940, the resolution of Pakistan was passed. March 23 is now also a history maker for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir as the relations between the two regions are being restored after 76 years. He hoped the journey of restoring relations started today will continue future. The path we have opened has a lot of potential.
On the other side of the Line of Control, the Kashmiri people are making sacrifices for the completion of Pakistan, said the PM AJK. No one can defeat the determination of this nation, who raise their children to become Khalid Bin Waleed. India can conquer the world in movies but it should remember we fight and burn all boats to get our target.
Expressing hope, the prime Minister of Azad Kashmir said the journey between Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, which has started today, will be continued by future generations. In the future, both regions will benefit from each other’s experiences and potential.
He further said the AJK government will help Gilgit-Baltistan in the fields of communication, agriculture, design, and housing. Similarly, the government of Azad Kashmir will benefit from the sectors in which Gilgit-Baltistan is ahead. AJK will also help Gilgit-Baltistan in the establishment of an engineering university.
He said any person to Azad Kashmir from Gilgit-Baltistan will get a 35% discount on purchases and a 25% discount on rent. The scope of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bank will be extended to Gilgit-Baltistan while the cooperative bank of Gilgit-Baltistan will be brought to Azad Kashmir.
Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan said that the quota of Gilgit-Baltistan will be increased in universities and other educational institutions of Azad Kashmir. He suggested civil officers of both regions should go on posting from one region to the other. He said yak is found only in Gilgit-Baltistan and will farm in the upper areas of Azad Kashmir.
The Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir said that the governments of both regions can create special economic zones together. The fruits produced in Gilgit-Baltistan can be marketed in a better way. He said the government of Azad Kashmir will also invest in the Gilgit-Baltistan transport company NATCO by making it a joint company of both regions. Both governments are setting up committees to promote connectivity and partnership between the two regions, which will submit reports soon, he added.
The Prime Minister directed the Transport Department of Azad Kashmir to prepare an annual calendar and provide free travel facilities to those traveling from Gilgit to Muzaffarabad and Muzaffarabad to Gilgit on weekends.
Addressing the ceremony, chief minister Gilgit-Baltistan Barrister Khalid Khurshid said today is Pakistan Day. This marks historic also for G-B and AJK as we have inaugurated a bus service between both regions to connect the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. This initiative will reduce the distance between hearts and promote harmony between the people of these two regions. The people of Azad Kashmir will come to Gilgit-Baltistan and the government will provide them with all the facilities, said CM G-B.
He said PC1 is ready with reference to Ruto Shunter tunnel. Whenever Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf government will assume power at the center, work on this tunnel will start. This tunnel is also important from the point of view of defense. is pregnant, he further added.
The chief minister of G-B said the passengers to Gilgit from Muzaffarabad today will be received by the chief secretary and my principal secretary in Gilgit.
Talking about the Northern Areas Transport Company, he said NATCO is a national institution of which it is G-B proud. He appreciated the personality and actions of Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanvir Aliyas Khan for making the dream of the Gilgit-Baltistan Bus Service a reality.
Addressing the ceremony, parliamentary secretary transport Azad Kashmir Javed Butt paid tribute to prime minister Azad Kashmir and chief minister Gilgit-Baltistan for the launch of the Gilgit-Muzaffarabad bus service.
Secretary transport authority Chaudhry Mukhtar Ahmad said that all arrangements have been made by Transport Authority regarding the Gilgit-Muzaffarabad bus service. The launch of this bus service will strengthen the ties between the two regions and promote culture, culture, and mutual harmony.
