By: Kashmir Investigation Team
MUZAFFARABAD: The Finance Department of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has released Rs 80 million as compensation to the heirs of those killed or injured as a result of Indian aggression on the Line of Control (LoC), with the proposed Emergency Response Fund remaining elusive.
The amount of Rs 80 million has been transferred to the Deputy Commissioners of the eight bordering districts of the AJK.
The districts include Muzaffarabad, Jhelum Valley, Neelum Valley, Haveli, Poonch, Kotli, Bhimber, and Bagh.
This amount has been released from the already established Azad Jammu and Kashmir Ceasefire Line Incidents Relief Fund.
In addition, the district administrations have confirmed, all districts have received extra Rs 10 million each from the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), the institution that deals with natural disasters.
Although the government has released amount from the relief fund to provide assistance to the affectees of the Indian aggression on the Line of Control, ambiguity surrounds the Emergency Response Fund the AJK PM had proposed to be established in his speech in the assembly on April 30.
The Prime Minister had said that in view of the tension between India and Pakistan, an Emergency Response Fund of one billion rupees had been established to effectively deal with emergencies.
The relevant government departments have expressed their ignorance about the establishment of this fund with some officials saying they didn’t receive any official information about the fund.
According to SDMA officials, an important meeting was held a few days ago under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary in which the Commissioners of all three divisions and the Deputy Commissioners of all 10 districts participated in-person or via video conference.
It was decided in the meeting that instead of establishing a new fund, one billion rupees would be transferred to the SDMA account.
SDMA officials, however, said that despite this decision, the amount has not yet been transferred to their account.
Losses at LoC
Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated after the attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
India on May 7, started attacking Pakistan and also caused losses at various locations along the Line of Control.
As a result of the firing, at least 5 civilians were killed and over a dozen injured in various areas of Azad Kashmir.
On the same day, six more people were killed in Muzaffarabad and Kotli as a result of Indian missile attacks.
Among those killed were ninth-grade student Umar Musa and his elder sister Misbah Musa.
