Residents in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir Decry Neglect and Lack of Basic Amenities

Residents and councilors in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir express frustration over lack of development and amenities, especially safe drinking water. Persistent neglect by successive governments leads to socio-economic challenges and a sense of alienation. Calls for urgent action are met with indifference, exacerbating the region's hardships.

Residents and councilors in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) are voicing their frustration over the severe lack of development and basic amenities, particularly safe drinking water. The region continues to face significant socio-economic challenges due to the persistent neglect from successive governments.

Local councilor Jahangir Mughal highlighted the deplorable state of infrastructure. "You are talking about development, but you are aware of the state of drinking water here. Yesterday, I received a call from Tarkhabad, from Raja Tahir, the local councilor there. He said there has been no water in his area for three days. There's a severe problem, but when they call the authorities, there's no action," he said.

The lack of proper infrastructure not only disrupts daily life but also hampers economic activity by affecting the transportation of goods and services. Residents accuse the region's administration, controlled by Islamabad through proxies, of systemic discrimination. This neglect has incited considerable dissatisfaction among the people, who argue that both the PoJK government and Islamabad are more focused on political pursuits than addressing urgent development issues.

(With inputs from agencies.)