Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari today emphasized the need for restraint and dialogue to address the issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), during a meeting with members of the AJK Legislative Assembly from the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

According to Pakistan Peoples Party, President Zardari called on all stakeholders including political parties, state institutions, and the residents of AJK to act responsibly to prevent the exploitation of the region’s challenges by hostile forces. He stressed the importance of addressing the demands of the AJK people within the bounds of law and mentioned plans to discuss these issues further with the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The President also highlighted the necessity of prioritizing the socio-economic development of AJK, focusing particularly on enhancing the region’s health, education, tourism, and infrastructure sectors. He expressed his desire to elevate the less developed areas of AJK to the level of more developed regions in the country.

During the meeting, the delegation briefed him on recent developments and the unfortunate events in AJK, including the death of a police officer and injuries sustained by others in recent clashes. President Zardari expressed his condolences for the deceased and wished a quick recovery for the injured.