Corruption, mismanagement deepen PoGB’s suffering under Pakistan
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
In Gilgit, Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), Jamaat-e-Islami President Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Khan sounded the alarm on the region’s ongoing struggles during a press conference at the Gilgit Press Club on September 21. Fresh from a week-long visit, Khan called for urgent reforms in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic growth to tackle what he sees as deep neglect in this key part of the Kashmir dispute.
Khan highlighted how PoGB, home to about 2.5 million people, still falls short on basic services despite its importance. “There’s so much left to do,” he said in a video shared by Markhor Times on Facebook. He zeroed in on the crumbling education system, where schools and colleges are scarce and facilities are outdated. Youth make up 70% of the population, yet technical training options remain almost nonexistent, leaving young people without skills for the future.
Healthcare fares no better, Khan added. The region lacks a medical college, a working cardiac center, and enough dialysis or cancer treatment centers to serve everyone. “This setup just isn’t enough for our people,” he stressed, pointing to widespread gaps in medical access.
He didn’t hold back on financial woes either, slamming corruption and poor management of development funds. Take the Astore beautification project: Officials poured crores of rupees into it, but Khan saw zero real changes on the ground during his trip. PoGB boasts rich natural resources like forests and minerals, plus the potential to generate over 18,000 megawatts of electricity. With honest investments, Khan argued, the area could power itself and even pump up Pakistan’s national economy—no more relying on outside energy.
Pushing for smarter economic ties, Khan urged tax-free trade with China through the Sost border, considering the region’s disputed status. He also slammed anti-Pakistan protests, urging leaders to distinguish real local complaints from foreign meddling.
On infrastructure, Khan wants more focus on PoGB’s slice of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He spotlighted the Mirpur-Muzaffarabad-Mansehra Expressway as a game-changer for better connections and new jobs. Even everyday issues like the poor quality of subsidized flour drew his criticism—he called on authorities to step up standards for residents.
In the end, Khan rallied federal and regional governments, political figures, and media to team up and unlock PoGB’s hidden potential while fixing these long-ignored problems. ()
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