MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani on Monday said his office would remain accessible to people to enable the government to obtain first-hand information about public grievances and issues requiring its attention.
The prime minister, who had spent the previous week in Islamabad holding meetings with federal government officials to seek financial support for his administration’s 100-day reform agenda, resumed official engagements at his office in Muzaffarabad on Monday, where he met government officials and delegations of political activists and members of the public.
“An effective government must remain connected with the people and understand their problems at first hand. We will keep our doors open to people and use their feedback to improve governance and public service delivery,” Mr Gillani told the delegations.
He said resolving public grievances and providing basic services would remain among his government’s priorities. “Our immediate focus is on initiatives that can make a tangible difference to people’s daily lives. We are identifying priority areas and projects so that available resources are directed towards the needs of ordinary people,” he said.
Mr Gillani also acknowledged the Punjab government’s experience in implementing public welfare and service-delivery initiatives, saying Azad Kashmir could benefit from the exchange of expertise. He particularly mentioned Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and said her government had offered cooperation in sharing experience in areas relevant to Azad Kashmir.
“We appreciate the offer of technical and administrative cooperation. Where another government has developed a successful model, there is no harm in learning from that experience and adapting it to our own requirements,” he said.
The prime minister said accessibility of public offices was a strength of AJK’s governance system and should be used to improve understanding of issues on the ground.
“Direct interaction with people gives us a better understanding of the difficulties they face. At the same time, I expect visitors to government offices to bring genuine grievances, useful suggestions or specific information so that this access remains meaningful and productive,” he said.
He said he had also directed members of his cabinet to spend at least a day or two each week visiting field areas and interacting directly with people to obtain first-hand information about their problems.
Mr Gillani patiently listened to the visitors, who raised issues relating to provision of basic facilities and delays in development projects in their respective areas.
He reiterated that development projects would be pursued according to the needs of local communities, particularly in remote and far-flung areas. “Development must respond to the actual needs of local communities. Our objective is to ensure that public resources are used where they can bring the greatest relief to people and make their everyday lives easier,” he said.
Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2026
