AJK PM vows to restore internet, road links in days

AJK PM vows to restore internet, road links in days.

Key points

• Tariq Naqash Published August 30, 2026 Updated August 30, 2026 07: 30am.
• Afterwards, Mr Gillani left for Lahore on Saturday, where his key engagement would be a courtesy call on party supremo Nawaz Sharif and CM Maryam on Sunday.
• Earlier, Mr Gillani visited the terminal of the green electric buses provided to AJK by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
• Mr Gillani thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for establishing Danish schools in four AJK districts.
• Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gillani thanked PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and CM Maryam for fulfilling their commitment to provide green buses to AJK before the elections.

Tariq Naqash Published August 30, 2026 Updated August 30, 2026 07: 30am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Barrister Iftikhar Gillani has assured the business community and students that his administration would restore internet services at educational institutions and remove restrictions on road links with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within the next few days.

Speaking during his visit to the Central Press Club on Saturday, Mr Gillani remarked the administration was additionally working on a policy to address the losses suffered by the business community, particularly in Mirpur, due to the internet shutdown and recent protests. "We will try to restore business activity and help recover the losses, " he remarked.

PM Gillani, who was accompanied by fellow legislators Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Arain and Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, expressed concern over the situation in Rawalakot, saying his administration would produce every effort to bring it under control. As teaching activities had been disrupted in educational institutions, he remarked the educational loss being suffered by children was the government's foremost concern. "I will make every effort to have internet services restored in educational institutions within the next few days, " he remarked.

He additionally assured the public that restrictions on routes connecting AJK with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be removed within a day or two. "I assure you that these closures will no longer be visible anywhere in the next one or two days. There will be no restrictions or hindrances of any kind on movement, " he declared.

For context, the prime minister remarked his administration wanted to bring political forces and the individuals of the state together to move AJK forward. "If the government is genuinely interested in resolving the problems of the people, there should be nothing that creates discord within the state or sends a message of division to the outside world, " he remarked. Gillani leaves for Lahore to meet Nawaz, Maryam.

Mr Gillani remarked the election of a number of young PML-N legislators had brought a "clear change" to the political landscape and expressed confidence in his team's ability to deliver. "Our entire team has the ability to deliver. It has delivered previously and will deliver again, and you will all see that delivery, " he remarked.

Referring to development in AJK, the prime minister credited former prime minister Nawaz Sharif with doubling the region's development budget, saying the growth had enabled residents to see tangible development. He remarked the building of the Central Press Club was additionally created feasible by the resources provided by the PML-N federal administration.

Mr Gillani thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for establishing Danish schools in four AJK districts. He described the initiative as a manifestation of the PML-N leadership's "affection" for the individuals of AJK. He additionally appealed to the media to assist create a positive environment and play its role in countering what he described as negative effects.

"This is also the purpose of my visit to the Press Club today, " he remarked, adding that society needed to move beyond the pursuit of "fame and views" and join hands to build a robust, educated and developed AJK.

Earlier, Mr Gillani visited the terminal of the green electric buses provided to AJK by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Senior Member Board of Revenue Sardar Mohammad Zafar and other authorities briefed him on the proposed launch of the bus service, its routes and other arrangements.

For context, the prime minister inspected the e-buses and reviewed facilities at the terminal, issuing directions to the authorities concerned.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gillani thanked PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and CM Maryam for fulfilling their commitment to provide green buses to AJK before the elections. He remarked the PML-N government's objective was to promote development, ensure public welfare and reduce people's hardships. "I assure the individuals of Azad Kashmir that the PML-N administration will work to reduce their challenges and address their sense of deprivation. We will create every effort to improve their lives and ensure that the residents feel the difference of having a PML-N administration in place, " he remarked.

Afterwards, Mr Gillani left for Lahore on Saturday, where his key engagement would be a courtesy call on party supremo Nawaz Sharif and CM Maryam on Sunday. Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2026.

Tariq Naqash is a Muzaffarabad-based senior staff correspondent for Dawn with almost three decades of experience in reporting, analysis, and feature writing. His work focuses on politics, conflict, and governance. He can be discovered on X at @tariqnaqash.

For now, AJK PM vows to restore internet, road links in days remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.