Protests in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir: Councillors Demand Promised Funds
Councillors in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) recently set up protest camps in Muzaffarabad. They are angry because they haven’t received the development funds and powers promised by Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.
Women Councillors Join the Protest
Women councillors from across the region also participated in the sit-in. They are upset because the funds for their local bodies were supposed to be given to them more than 20 months ago, after the local body elections in November 2022.
Frustration Over Broken Promises
The elected representatives are frustrated with the lack of action and broken promises. They believe that local issues like infrastructure and public services should be handled by them, not higher-level government officials. One protester said, “It’s been more than 1.5 years since local body elections were conducted. It was said that those who get elected in the local body election will get the funds. But you all know the current situation. Is it the work of ministers & MLAs to repair taps and sewage lines in localities? Absolutely not. It is the work of representatives of the local bodies. These are the people who can be easily reached by the public for their issues. We know who has what kind of problem in the locality, and we can solve it in a better way.”
Demands for Immediate Action
The protesting representatives are demanding immediate allocation of funds and the power to do their jobs effectively. They criticize the government for delaying the promised support and say that the government led by Chaudhry Anwarul Haq is not serious about making the local bodies operational in the region. Another protester said, “In PoJK, local body elections were conducted for the first time in 32 years on November 27, 2022, leading to the formation of these local bodies. But nearly 20 months later, we still haven’t received any funds under Act 90 from the government of PoJK. For these past 20 months, members of the district council, councillors, and chairpersons of municipal corporations and committees have been protesting. The government has spent 8-10 months making empty promises in committees. They are not serious about making the local bodies functional or operational.”
Protests for Public Benefit
The protesters said their demands are not just for personal gain but for the benefit of the public. They want the resources necessary to address the needs of their communities effectively. People in the region have been waiting for years for a better administration that could work for their welfare and the region’s development, but the government’s lack of action has made things worse.