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| Muzafarabad's future hangs in balance Search for new capital of PoK has begun | | | NEW DELHI, MAR 15
Public opinion in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) has been sharply divided by the PoK government's decison to move the capital from Muzaffrabad to a seismically safer place. According to reports received from across the Line of Control (LoC), groups of residents of Muzaffrabadare up in arms against the decision. Cutting across the political divide, all partis and civil society groups are opposing the move.
The PoK government led by Attique Ahmad Khan has stirred a host of enemies, simply because of its decision to move the capital from Muzaffarabad to some other place in the occupied territory. The move has been opposed not only by the government's political rivals but also by several legislators of the ruling party. At a time when the search has begun to locate a "suitable" area for new capital city, the PoK Prime Minister, Attique Khan, has stated that his government will preserve part of the city as a protected heritage instead of reconstructing it.
Reports from Muzafarabad said that the traumatised people have strong emotional bonds to their native lands and towns but the problem is that the reconstruction of a city that falls in the red zone is untenable. The donors and administration view it as purely a technical issue rather a political one. The PoK government is perplexed. If it follows the seismic report suggestions and standards set by donors, then it has to confront a huge political backlash in the entire district. The current wave against the government's decision to move the capital is also politically motivated. Besides, a large number of traders and businessmen also fear that once the capital is moved their current business and property value would decrease.
Acccording to thnese reports, a large group of Muzaffarabad's elite believes that the government is just using the seismic report as a pretext for the decision to move the capital. In fact, except for a tiny portion of the city, a major part of it is completely safe and secure for inhabitants. Another argument is that if the city and adjoining areas are not secure, then the administration should relocate citizens first, instead of giving priority to their own offices.
Rumours, often, mislead people. For instance, it is said that during the initial days after the 2005 earthquake, the previous Muslim Conference government could not rise to the occasion and showed apathy towards the affected people. It resulted in the ruling party's electoral defeat in the last Assembly elections. It is believed in certain quarters that Attique's government wants to take revenge by moving the capital from Muzaffarabad.
The worse part is that government functionaries have hinted that Kotli and Palanderi districts may be choices for the future capital. Since receipt of this piece of news, local and district leaders have become enthusiastic and are backing the campaign to move the capital. It reminds PoK watchers that hardly a few years ago Muzaffarabad and Poonch districts had been at loggerheads on the establishment of a medical college. It led to a law and order situation and pumped up a great deal of bitterness among the inhabitants of the two districts. Eventually, the PoK government froze the project for an indefinite period.
Recently, the PoK government suffered a setback when deputy chairman of Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed categorically refuted the claim that the relocation of administrative offices is necessary or a precondition set by the donors. He was reported to have made it clear that ERRA would not fund capital relocation and that the present offices were already located in safe areas. Nevertheless, his statement could not settle the matter and government does not seem ready to abandon its plan yet.
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