The government of Azad Kashmir has ordered residents of the state, particularly those near the de facto border, to stockpile food as tensions flare between Islamabad and New Delhi.
“Instructions have been issued to stock food supplies for two months in the 13 constituencies along the Line of Control (LoC),” Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, told the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
The AJK government has also created an emergency fund of one billion rupees to ensure the supply of “food, medicines and all other necessities” to the 13 constituencies, he said.
Government and privately-owned machinery was also being deployed to maintain roads in the areas along the LoC, he said.
It should be noted that following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on tourists last month, the Indian government blamed Pakistan for it without any proof and threatened an attack on Pakistan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave the military “complete operational freedom” to respond to the attack.
Pakistan has denied any involvement and has said it has “credible evidence” that India is planning an imminent military strike, vowing that any attack would be met with a response.
Fearing a military escalation, authorities in Azad Kashmir shut more than 1,000 religious schools for 10 days on Thursday.
The Azad Kashmir authorities have also set up a control room in Samahni area, keeping in view the tensions at the LoC and also to provide accurate information and counter fake news on social media.
The control room will remain reactive all the time and will remain in contact with relevant institutions.
The personnel deployed at the control room will verify all the information received from official and non-official sources.
