Whereas India is implementing a number of projects in J&K to meet the needs of the post-Covid economy, Pakistani administered Kashmir has suffered significant budget cuts. There is widespread corruption besides China’s incursion into the region and use of land to advance its strategic goals. The Pakistani federal government has gone all out to placate China and is furthering Beijing’s economic corridor through Pakistani administered Kashmir.
Muzzafarabad, the capital of Pakistani administered Kashmir, cannot be compared to Srinagar or Jammu, the twin capitals of J&K. While Pakistani administered Kashmir has only two airports, J&K has four. In J&K, there are 35 universities compared to six in Azad Kashmir. Only 23 hospitals exist in PAKISTAN administered Kashmir, with questionable basic medical facilities, while 2,812 hospitals in J&K offer free healthcare to residents.
J&K has completed four new national highways projects while 10 new road and tunnel projects have got the nod from the Union ministry of road transport & highways under the Bharatmala project. Twenty-five road projects have either been completed or are nearly complete. Another four projects are likely to be completed by the end of the financial year.
Clouds fill the Chenab Valley beneath the world’s highest railway bridge in northern Jammu and Kashmir on Aug. 30, 2022
For 2022-2023, the UT of J&K received a budget of $16 billion with the aim of boosting its economy
The FY 2022-23 Budget for J&K- Towards better tomorrow
risingkashmir.com
The budget for Pakistani administered Kashmir in 2021–22, on the other hand, was 141 billion Pakistani rupees ($511 million). According to Abdul Majid Khan, finance minister of Pakistani administered Kashmir, the federal government recently cut Pakistani administered Kashmir development budget by 5.2 billion Pakistan rupees, which he claims could cause serious imbalances in the financial system. Pakistani administered Kashmir ministers believe the federal government’s plan to reduce budgetary allocations may have uncontrollable effects on Pakistani administered Kashmir financial system and result in the area becoming poorer.
In a nutshell, Pakistani administered Kashmir remains way behind J&K, the main reason being that the ideology of India is development-oriented
How J&K’s progress nails Pakistan‘s lies on Kashmir
Islamabad plans nationwide events on ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ (February 5), but while J&K is striding towards development, Azad Kashmir languishes
www.indiatoday.in
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