Funding Disparity Cripples Local Governance in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir – In a stark contrast, while reports emerge of the Pakistani government allocating over 50 billion rupees to Member of National Assembly (MNA) development schemes, the elected representatives in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have been left high and dry for the past year and a half.

The development funds crisis has triggered a continuous protest outside the Muzaffarabad Assembly House, where district councilors have been staging a sit-in demanding the release of much-needed resources.

Zia Ur Rehman, a District Councilor, expressed his frustration, stating that the mere postponement of the assembly session will not resolve the issue. “The Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir must restore the local government system and ensure the timely disbursement of funds,” he said.

Renowned columnist Qazi Shehzad echoed the councilors’ sentiment, arguing that those elected representatives who have not joined the protest movement have no right to hold their seats. “All the representatives participating in this struggle deserve recognition for their commitment to their constituents,” he wrote.

The stark disparity in the allocation of development funds between mainland Pakistan and the Pakistan-administered Kashmir region has sparked outrage among the local leadership, who feel abandoned by the central government.

As the protest continues, the demand for equitable distribution of resources and the restoration of the local governance system in Kashmir remains a pressing issue that the Pakistani authorities must address with urgency.