ISLAMABAD: The Centre’s reluctance to release the committed development and non-development funds has put PTI-led Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government in a tough situation to deal with the brewing financial crisis.
AJK Prime Minister Tanveer Ilyas on Saturday held a meeting with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar but failed to secure any assurance for the release of the budgetary funds. The funds withheld related to increases in salaries and pensions of AJK employees in the budget for the current fiscal year, releases of development grants, and a subsidy amount on wheat flour.
At the same time, AJK is still awaiting the 4G auction proceeds amounting to Rs5 billion from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. \The PMLN-led coalition government in Budget 2022-23 reduced the recurrent budget of the AJK government by Rs15bn against the committed amount of Rs74.32bn.
However, the PTI government agitated against this unlawful reduction. As a result, the federal government agreed to take the burden of an increase in salary and pensions. –Agencies
