Stark differences between PoK and Indian Kashmir

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) citizens praise Indian Government

Islamabad (Pakistan) – Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Kashmir Valley for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 on 7th March. He dedicated development projects worth over Rs 6,400 crore to the Union Territory during the ‘Developed India, Developed Jammu and Kashmir’ programme. Journalists spoke with citizens of PoK about this. They described their living conditions as extremely challenging and grappling with high inflation.

Noticeable differences between #Pakistan -Occupied Kashmir (POK) and #Kashmir administered by India.

Views of the general public in POK:

— Natives praised the Indian government.

— Basic needs like electricity are unavailable to remote villages.

— Crucial development… pic.twitter.com/BSzz3P9bAZ

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) March 9, 2024

Many villages don’t even know what electricity is !

One citizen stated, “In many of our villages, people don’t even know what electricity is. While Indian military posts on the border have 24-hour electricity, we sometimes don’t have power even for 12 hours. How can tourists visit under these conditions ? A significant amount of electricity is produced in PoK but is distributed across Pakistan, leaving us with less than 10 megawatts for our needs.”

No investment in PoK’s development projects

Discussing the development in Kashmir on both sides, Khwaja Shabbir Ahmed noted, “There is a huge difference in development. There is zero investment in development projects here. All the tourist spots here need work. Many places here are even banned from having CCTV cameras.”

Inflation beyond limits

Another citizen said, “The inflation here is beyond limits. Local products in Kashmir are cheap, but imported goods are excessively expensive. The rate of inflation in Indian Kashmir is much lower compared to here. They also have employment opportunities, while our people are dying fighting among ourselves.”

Pakistani Government only fills its coffers

A ninth-grade student remarked, “The Indian Government cares about its people. Their Government works for the people. Our Government only fills its coffers.”