Azad Kashmir govt orders stockpiling of food as India tensions flare
Authorities in Azad Kashmir called on residents near the de facto border with the Indian-occupied Kashmir to stockpile food on Friday as tensions flare between the arch-rivals following a deadly attack last month. "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 basic 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. The attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir and subsequent tensions, including expulsions and closed border crossings, have raised fears of a conflagration between India and 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.
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)
