PESHAWAR, Jun 24 (APP): Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir Affairs, Engr Amir Muqam, on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.
Speaking at an event organized by the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA), the minister welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, terming it a positive step towards regional de-escalation.
He criticized Israel for initiating hostilities and committing severe atrocities in Gaza and Palestine.
Engr Amir Muqam reiterated that Pakistan has maintained a principled stance on both the Gaza crisis and the Iran-Israel conflict that was widely hailed.
He highly praised the country’s armed forces and leadership of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal General Syed Asim for their decisive actions during Operation Iron Wall, which effectively thwarted the enemy’s designs.
Highlighting the government’s economic and fiscal achievements, the federal minister said that under Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, Pakistan was steered away from an imminent economic default.
He noted a reduction in inflation from 38 percent to 4 percent, stabilization of the rupee against the dollar, and a positive trend in the stock market. These, he said, reflect the success of the government’s economic and fiscal policies and the people-friendly budget for 2025–26.
He pointed out specific relief measures in the budget, including a 10 percent salary increase for government employees and significant allocations for the socioeconomic uplift of the erstwhile FATA and PATA regions.
Engr Amir Muqam emphasized that the people of former FATA and PATA had bravely faced terrorism and reiterated his personal commitment to standing by them despite past terror attacks on him.
He revealed that a committee had been formed to revive the traditional jirga system in erstwhile Fata and invited legal experts to contribute ideas for delivering speedy justice to tribesmen within the framework of existing laws.
Engr Amir Muqam criticized what he called “hollow slogans” of PTI leadership about passing of the Provincial Budget and claimed the KP budget was hastily passed without due consultation last night.
“This is our province, and the people’s mandate should be used for public welfare, not personal agendas,” he remarked.
He lauded the PHCBA and the wider legal fraternity for their historic role in the restoration of the judiciary in 2007 and their continued service in ensuring speedy justice to litigants.
He proposed extending the term of elected bar cabinets from one year to two years to ensure better continuity and implementation of initiatives.
Concluding his address, Engr Amir Muqam announced a Rs10 million grant for the PHCBA and pledged to arrange a visit by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address this historic Bar.
Earlier, he was warmly welcomed by the PHCBA president and members upon his arrival.