BHIMBER (Kashmir English): The Senior Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Colonel (Retd.) Waqar Ahmad Noor visited an open court session arranged by the Anti-Corruption Department today where he listened to public complaints himself and issued directives on the spot for relief.
He further said that under the leadership of AJK, Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq and the government’s top priority is to provide relief to the people in every sector. He again said that those involved in corruption will be dealt with firmly, ensuring strict action against them.
He asked all the departments of the government to serve their duties faithfully and warned that if any official was to get caught guilty of bribery, he would be dismissed from service. Briefings were held during the session by Director General of Anti-Corruption Badr Munir, Deputy Commissioner Bhimber Mirza Arshad Mahmood Jarral, SSP Chaudhry Muhammad Amin, and District Health Officer Dr Aram Batool along with other district officials.
Waqar Ahmad Noor, while speaking at the open court in Bhimber, directed the officials to make sure that no citizen’s file is unnecessarily delayed. He stated that any officer or staff member who deliberately delays the cases would be dealt with under disciplinary action. All the pending cases will be resolved within a month and a report will be submitted regarding the progress.
Expressing his discontent over the undue delay, he warned that no negligence would be tolerated. He asked the officers to guide the public properly and assured the citizens that if any officer unfairly decided against them, there were higher authorities where appeals could be made. He reiterated the government’s commitment to providing the public with fair and impartial service to ensure justice was delivered without any discrimination.
Corruption in AJK remains an issue, both for governance, public services, and general development. It shows in the poor management of various departments under the government to the involvement of bribery, nepotism, and cronyism at every level and step of procedure. In these areas, citizens have had to bear many frustrations such as delayed projects and officials more keen on their benefits than public service. While there are attempts to contain corruption through anti-corruption drives and accountability mechanisms, the implementation is not consistent. People tend to believe that justice is biased and that powerful people are allowed to get away with things, while common people are bogged down by bureaucracy. For AJK to grow, strict accountability, transparent governance, and an independent judicial system are necessary. Unless corruption at its core is addressed, development and public trust will remain far-off dreams.
