NEW DELHI: National Conference MLA on Tuesday stirred a controversy after he compared the living conditions between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir and inferred that infrastructure on the other side of the Line of Control (POK) is better.
In his speech in the state assembly, Mir said that people of his constituency Trehgam were fed up with the administration.
“Trehgam is very big…Pakistan is on the other side. If we compare the two, people on the other side have all the facilities. We don’t have any problem with it,” Mir said.
“We don’t have any problem with it. On this side, people die in vain, roads are always closed. People of Trehgam live in rehabilitation centres. They are fed by the administration. This is the condition in Trehgam,” he added.
Following opposition’s protest and a heated exchange during the session, Mir justified his remarks and said, “I have not said this. I said that the other side of the Keran sector is Pakistan and the condition of roads should be better here than what is there.”
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir’s deputy chief minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary also backed Mir and said that he raised the issue of better roads and electricity facilities in his constituency and the chief minister Omar Abdullah clarified the government’s stance.
“Mir said that in our area, we lack electricity, roads, and water. Chief minister clarified everything, and I don’t think you need to comment much on it. You would agree that people from any city want development in their area, access to electricity and water, schools, and roads. Who wouldn’t want employment for their children? That’s why people have these demands. They have made demands, but we will address them one by one,” he said.
CM Omar Abdullah said that the development in PoK is primarily driven by China, and the Pakistan government plays no significant role in its progress.
“We have to accept that while there is limited development in our frontier areas, on the other side, there have been deliberate attempts to showcase progress,” Abdullah said.
“However, this so-called development was facilitated by China, not Pakistan,” he added.
