Mangla Dam victims: Centre short of funds, Dar tells AJK

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday assured the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Chaudhry Abdul Majeed that the issue of Mangla Dam affected people will be resolved on emergency basis as soon as the requisite budget is approved. Dar, however, said that the centre was short of funds due to war against terrorism and IDPs. During the meeting AJK Chief Secretary Abid Ali briefed the finance minister about budget requirements. Dar said that floods and displacement of large number of people in the war on terror had increased the burden on national exchequer. However, he assured that the federal government would facilitate AJK government in every possible way.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2015.