A letter from Islamabad has just arrived, signaling the transfer of a
substantial amount of 85 crore rupees from Azad Kashmir's treasury to
Islamabad. This transfer appears to be specifically for the salaries
of employees within the Kashmir Council, individuals for whom the
Azad Kashmir government holds no official record. Curiously, no
information has been provided regarding the identity, location,
responsibilities, appointment history, or the appointing authority of
these employees. Notably, the government has prohibited the Auditor
General from handling these funds, while others have taken it upon
themselves to transfer them to the Auditor General's purview.
Jalaluddin Mughal, an experienced
journalist originally from AJK, who currently contributes to
prestigious publications like The New York Times and Independent
Urdu, has recently voiced a critical viewpoint. He contends that it
is imperative to establish clear lines of accountability for the
Kashmir Council, whether it operates as part of the "Azad
Kashmir" government or as a subsidiary of the federal Ministry
of Kashmir Affairs.
If the Kashmir Council operates within
the framework of the "Azad Kashmir" government, it should
be answerable to various institutions, including the people, the
legislative assembly, the supreme court, and the accountability
bureau of Azad Kashmir. Moreover, the authority over appointments,
transfers, promotions, and deputations of Kashmir Council employees
should squarely reside within the purview of the Azad Kashmir
government.
On the other hand, if the Kashmir
Council functions as a subordinate department under the federal
Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, it logically follows that the federal
government should take responsibility for paying salaries and
allocating funds for its employees from the Ministry's budget. Mughal
argues that the current practice, where the Azad Kashmir government
is kept in the dark about appointments made by the Prime Minister of
Pakistan, the federal Minister of Kashmir Affairs, and the Secretary
of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs, leading to employees
receiving their salaries from the Azad Kashmir government, is
untenable.
Furthermore, Mughal draws attention to a historical issue where a significant portion of Azad Kashmir's development budget has been directed towards the constituencies of Prime Ministers and Ministers of Kashmir Affairs for five decades. This practice saw a change in 2018 when the Azad Kashmir government began collecting taxes directly. Mughal insists on an explanation for why the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs still demands 20% of these collected taxes and the rationale behind this request.
