Daily Diary (DD) - Day 181 of 2023

2019hrs:

It is amazing how much one can get done if they remain in one fixed location all day. 

For those of us who regularly conduct hectic field work in their normal course of existence, they would know exactly what I am talking about.

It is unfortunate that many of my co-citizens do not fully grasp the multi-tasking demands of a a modern day activist in AJK.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 180 of 2023

2044hrs:

It is Eid today but it is work as usual.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 179 of 2023

2306hrs:

Eid Mubarak to all those who are celebrating Eid today. 

We are celebrating tomorrow. 

We are behind schedule in both matters worldly and other worldly.

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It's always heartening to read what other co-citizens of mine have to say & write about Sharda. This particular FaceBook post by Hassam Shabir is one such example:

[By Hassam Shabir]

Sharda Peeth: An historical and cultural hub in Pakistani-administered Jammu & Kashmir

Sharda Peeth is a temple and ancient centre of learning located in the village of Sharda in Pakistan-administered Jammu & Kashmir. Nestled in the heart of Neelum Valley, Sharda Peeth is a place of incredible natural beauty. Surrounded by peaks that loom in the distance and stretch up to the sky and the forests that carpet the hillsides, there is a sense of majesty and tranquility that pervades the area. As you explore the place around Sharda Peeth, you’ll discover hidden waterfalls, verdant meadows and charming villages that are sure to capture your heart.

Sharda Peeth has a rich history that dates back to several centuries and has been an important centre of learning & pilgrimage for Hindus since ancient times. According to historical records, the temple was built by Kashmiri King Lalitaditya in 8th century CE, approximately 1300 years back from now. Due to its long and complex history, it is difficult to determine the exact reason and date of its founding with complete accuracy. While there are many historical records that tell us about the temple’s origin and development. According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that the temple was founded by Hindu God Shiva in the honour of his wife Goddess Sharda, also known as Saraswati, which is the Hindu Goddess of knowledge, learning, music, art and wisdom. The site was a significant destination for pilgrims from all over the region, who came to pay their respect to the goddess and participate in various religious ceremonies and rituals.

Despite being a site of great spiritual significance for Hindus, Sharda Peeth was renowned throughout the Indian Subcontinent as one of the oldest and most prestigious centres of learning, offering advanced education in a wide range of fields, from medicine and philosophy to astronomy and beyond. It was a beacon of knowledge that drew in the most brilliant minds of its time including Adi Shankaracharya, who was a known philosopher of that time. Apart from Adi Shankaracharya, Sharda Peeth was also attended by many other prominent scholars, including Vairochana, Abhinavagupta and Bhaskaracharya, who was a known mathematician and astronomer. In short, Sharda Peeth was a prominent hub for cultural, intellectual and historical activities for the people of the region in the past.

Sharda Peeth has numerous myths and legends linked to it. According to one, the king was visited by the Hindu goddess Saraswati in a dream, who instructed him to build a temple in her honour. The king followed her instructions and built a temple and university on the site. According to another legend, the temple was built on the site where the head of the demon Jalandhar fell after he was defeated by Hindu God Shiva. This legend suggests that the temple was built as a commemoration of Shiva’s victory over the demon. These stories create a sense of wonder and amazement around the temple, which in turn makes it a site of great interest and significance for people from all over the world. It seems like the mysteries surrounding the origin and evolution of Sharda Peeth will always remain unsolved.

Sharda Peeth has a complex and multifaceted history, which has been shaped by a wide range of cultural, religious and political factors over the centuries. The site has borne witness to many conflicts - both political and religious - that have threatened to undermine its rich cultural and historical significance. One of the earliest was the invasion of the region by Muslim rulers in the 14th century, which resulted in significant damage to the temple and sorrounding structures. In the centuries that followed, Sharda Peeth was caught up in Sikh-Mughal wars of 18th and 19th centuries, which resulted in further damage to the site.

Following the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, the issue of Kashmir has remained unresolved, with both countries claiming sovereignty over the region. Being situated in close proximity to the Line of Control (LOC), which serves as an unofficial border between India and Pakistan in the region, the site has been largely ignored and neglected, with minimal efforts put towards its maintenance and preservation. Because of ongoing tensions along the Line of Control, Sharda Peeth has unfortunately remained inaccessible to the public for an extended period.

Despite the complicated and difficult political circumstances in the region, the site remains a treasured and significant part of the area’s cultural heritage and identity.

Given the current situation in the region, particularly the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan since February 2021; it is imperative that the site be opened to the people from the other side of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. This would help to promote greater understanding and co-operation between the people of the region and encourage greater cultural exchange and appreciation. By bringing people together in this way, it could promote a more harmonious and prosperous future for all. There have been ongoing discussions about ways to make it more accessible to visitors from both sides of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Recently In March 2023, Amit Shah, the Indian Home Minister, inaugurated a new temple in the border area of Teetwal in Kupwara District in Indian-administered Kashmir. During the ceremony, he expressed his government’s commitment to working towards opening up the Sharda Peeth site on the pattern of Kartarpur corridor. This announcement was met with both appreciation and criticism from members of the public on both sides of the region.

The regional government of Pakistani-administered Kashmir should play a more active role in the restoration and maintenance of the site and to work towards opening it up to visitors from across the globe. Civil society and regional government should take a stance in promoting awareness and understanding of the site’s significance and providing necessary resources to support these efforts. Despite the obstacles that must be overcome, there is a growing sense of hope and determination among those who believe in the cultural and historical significance of the site. 

With the right resources and support, progress can be made towards a more inclusive & peaceful future.

..end of Hassam Shabir's article (which has been slightly edited from its FaceBook version for clarity)

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 178 of 2023

2347hrs:

....All the way....

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Another needless set of tragedies on the LOC, this time in Poonch Sector:

I shall copy the text written within the video description here:

#LOC #CivilianKillings #Poonch 

Muhammad Qasim 61 year old son of Muhammad Deen and Muhammad Ubaid 22 year old son of Abdul Qayoom (both of Tithrinote) lost their lives to Indian sniper fire despite being well inside the Pakistani controlled zone of the LOC, resting under the shade of a tree while their livestock grazed the pastures.

This was the same tree that the Pakistani army used as a shade in the past, as recently as the day before this event.

Both Qasim & Ubaid had spent their lives in agriculture and looking after their livestock. While these two succumbed to Indian sniper fire, a third local Abdul Majeed (alias Bhutto) - 35 years of age - was injured and managed to drag himself to a Pakistani post where he was given a pain killer but detained for a few hours while the Pakistani army refused to tend to the other two civilians shot. In fact, they prevented others from going to retrieve them.

  

This land on which the 3 fellow villagers were sitting is locally known as the land of Professor Saidullah. According to Ubaid's father Qasim the LOC was more than 500 yards away from this location, while the nearest Indian army post was a further 100 yards away, from where these sniper shots were fired.

By around 2pm (over a couple of hours later) local villagers could not wait any longer for the Pakistani army to give them permission to retrieve the 2 fellow villagers lying injured or dead under the shade of the tree. The local villagers tore off their vests to use them as white flags to reach them. The 61 year old Qasim was already dead while the relatively younger 22 year old Ubaid was still breathing.

Local ambulances in the vicinity refused to come to their aid. Eventually, a local Mazda truck was used to take Ubaid to a local dispensary while the other villager Qasim's dead body was taken to his home. The local dispensary had nothing to treat Ubaid with and he was then rushed to Hajeera (tehsil headquarter - THQ) hospital, over 10 kilometres away.

At the THQ, there was little that the hospital staff could do either to prevent Ubaid's death.  

In the subsequent days, nobody from the Pakistani army came to condole the dead. However some people from the Rawalakot administration did come to enquire of what happened.

The overall scenario of the LOC in this region of Poonch - in particular - suggests that locals are being driven away from lands where their livestock grazes and where they would previously sow crops for livelihood, in preparation for what appears to be a back-door agreement between India and Pakistan to define the LOC as an international border, without the local people's reference.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 177 of 2023

1332hrs:

Trotting on....towards a new horizon

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 176 of 2023

2343hrs:

Left it late again today, for justifiable reasons once again. 

Absence of net connectivity since yesterday evening, till at some point this afternoon was the major factor. Then, incessant public interaction till now.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 175 of 2023

1614hrs:

Preparing our public for transparency in governance finally. We have discussed this threadbare for over a decade but our public was not prepared for it, given the opaqueness of our public institutions and the ambiguity of our governance.

Now is the moment to launch our budget sheet online. It will include 4 columns of data (income, expenditure, assets and liabilities) and it will be presented on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis.

We will launch it here on blogger as soon as possible.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 174 of 2023

2349hrs:

Left it quite late today, for a number of practical reasons.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 173 of 2023

1158hrs:

Plugging away at reducing the Referendum target deficit (at the outset) from over 3 million to 0.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 172 of 2023

1420hrs:

The public of #Poonch have made chickens out of their co-citizens in the administration. The 'Right To Rule' as an aspiration should now convert into an achievable goal.

Here's the public dialogue between the leaders of this strike and the local administration:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 171 of 2023

1025hrs:

In Rawalakot, the hub of public activism in AJK.

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Late in the evening, a conversation took place at the sit-in protest camp of the Rawalakot Trader's Association outside the gate of the Flour Supply Depot, where they have been camped for the past 43 days. This is also the eve of a total shutdown (including wheel jams of all vehicles in the region - except emergency and essential services - and shops/markets throughout the administrative division).

I had the honour of being interviewed by Roznama Pearl View Rawalakot between 23:45 and 32:18 of the following video:

  

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 170 of 2023

0403hrs:

Yes, one has to work this late at times, though I've limited such untimely activity with age.

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Here's our third and perhaps the leading example of a consistent and co-ordinated sit-in protest throughout the administrative division of Poonch:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 169 of 2023

1029hrs:

Making every aspiring citizen responsible for their opinion and data is a strategy that is essentially novel in our society. Nevertheless, there is a first time for everything.

Preparing our people for data driven governance.

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Here's our second example of co-ordinated and synchronised public activism throughout the Poonch division in particular:

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The above was followed up by an interview of myself by my hosts at this sit-in protest (dharna). Many thanks to Shaan Javed of Tain Dhalkot in particular:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 168 of 2023

1158hrs:

Untangling the web that has been woven for 76 years. For those of us who have the ability to untangle it, the challenge is to make our co-citizens understand that this web can be untangled and is being untangled.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 167 of 2023

1053hrs:

Building blocks being put together.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 166 of 2023

0952hrs:

Waking up to a sweet cool breeze in Dathote, at over 6,000 feet above sea level.

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We quickly move to our seventeenth TikTok video in 24 days of conducting #AJKReferendum2023 :

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 24 - #Dathote #Paachot #Rawalakot #Poonch #AJK - IS #15062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

Then to our eighteenth TikTok video:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 24 - #Dathote #Paachot #Rawalakot #Poonch #AJK - ZK #15062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

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Our fourteenth and fifteenth replica videos of the above on YouTube shorts are available as below:

Here's our 14th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/MSe3fQRRRI

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 17, 2023

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Here's our 15th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/PMG52J5dqD

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 17, 2023

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Arriving in Thorar in Poonch today, we found that the public is already active via a sit-in protest that is into its 27th day:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 165 of 2023

2233hrs:

Higher up (in terms of altitude) than we have been at any point in time this summer.

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We have now progressed to our fourteenth TikTok video in 23 days of conducting #AJKReferendum2023 :

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 23 - #Dathote #Paachot #Rawalakot #Poonch #AJK - SA #14062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

This was quickly followed by our fifteenth TikTok video:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 23 - #Dathote #Paachot #Rawalakot #Poonch #AJK - YA #14062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

And our sixteenth:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 23 - #Dathote #Paachot #Rawalakot #Poonch #AJK - KKA #14062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

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As explained hitherto, all TikTok videos are replicated on YouTube shorts and thus here are our eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth in this respect:

Here's our 11th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/DPkmRGmBPU

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 17, 2023

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Here's our 12th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/kZyrB5f64h

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 17, 2023

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Here's our 13th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/NHaVVuQzu2

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 17, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 164 of 2023

2312hrs:

Wherever and whenever progress is made in the territory of Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas #JKA various thorns and diversions surface to break the flow. 

However, over the years we have become adept at navigating these genetic hurdles, which have been inculcated in our people from centuries of practice.

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Our targeting of hypocrites who pretend to be freedom fighters while tacitly and sometimes openly supporting corrupt governance in AJK continues.

Hypocrite Number 1 = Wahid Kashar

We have documented his approach and strategy and will not let him rest till he retires from the public domain:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 163 of 2023

1355hrs:

Our 3rd day of mourning....the wounds of 1947 that still seem as fresh as if they were inflicted just a few hours ago.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 162 of 2023

2336hrs:

Waves and curves in the pursuit of peace. A very difficult art though it gets easier with age.

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We have progressed to our thirteenth TikTok video in 20 days of #AJKReferendum2023 already:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 20 - #Mirpur #AJK - QR #11062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

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As per routine now, all Tiktok video uploads are replicated on YouTube Shorts. Here's our tenth in this respect:

Here's our 10th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/NPMOMyWXBl

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 12, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 161 of 2023

1225hrs:

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 160 of 2023

2342hrs:

Day 18 of #AJKReferendum2023

Tough but that is how resilience is created.

I have always felt that my home/ancestral tehsil (subdivision) Sehnsa is the toughest of all 32 tehsils throughout AJK. Tougher than Haveli or Barnaala. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 159 of 2023

0833hrs:

Progress is discernible but not as yet overwhelming, as it is likely to become in the coming days, weeks and months.

We have now improved our daily routine to waking at 0730hrs, half an hour's improvement on yesterday (viz. 0800hrs) but still one and a half hour away from our optimal target of waking at 0600hrs. Nevertheless, we will get there.

Here's our daily morning walk video:

#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 17 - #Kurti #Kotli #08062023 That morning walk in the lush greenery of our motherland is the best way to start the day. We are inching closer to the target time of 0600hrs. Today, we reached 0730hrs. pic.twitter.com/yGO1mCw0tw

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) June 10, 2023

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A productive day commenced with a lecture on productivity at Dhamol, Kotli:

We were then requested to give a brief lecture on #AJKReferendum2023 :

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Later in the afternoon, we had our first TikTok interview of the day which also happens to be our eleventh TikTok offering:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 17 - #Kotli #AJK - DTG #08062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

Soon followed by our twelfth TikTok offering:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 17 - #Sehnsa #Kotli #AJK - RHN #08062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

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Again, like yesterday the above clips were replicated on YouTube shorts viz. eighth and ninth: 

Here's our 8th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/lK3YzYoETK

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 12, 2023

 Video short 9:

Here's our 9th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/heeAGsVPJI

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 12, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 158 of 2023

2355hrs:

Onwards and upwards....

We are posting very late in the day because of an absence of connectivity where we were this morning. It is encouraging that we have improved on our daily output routine by waking at 0800hrs today, as opposed to the customary 0900hrs we've been accustomed to over most of our #AJKReferendum2023 tour thus far. Remember that our optimal target is to wake up at 0600hrs.

Here's our daily morning walk video:

#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 16 - #PirKalanjer #Nikyaal #Kotli #07062023
Using our land productively is the secret to the productivity of our nation. Maize (corn) cultivation as well as n abundance of fruit trees can B witnessed here. Chirping birds r akin 2 nature's acknowledgement. pic.twitter.com/KbYCT4kjy6

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) June 8, 2023

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We took out time this afternoon to visit a bereaving family of Karela Majhaan in Nikyaal where one of them - Arshad Taj - was allegedly murdered in a nearby forest on Saturday the 3rd of June. The police have been reluctant to pursue investigation and the family have a barrister sister - Fauzia Taj - living in the UK, who has returned home to pursue justice for her brother. 

We were unable to meet Fauzia as she had proceeded to Kotli to further her campaign. However, we were able to meet Arshad Taj's other siblings Sadia Taj (who also happens to be a PTI politician) and Waseem Taj. The views of the latter two were captured in the following video:

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Our ninth TikTok offering:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 16 - #Nikyaal #Kotli #AJK - SNAS #07062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

Quickly followed by our tenth: 

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 16 - #Nikyaal #Kotli #AJK - JA #07062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

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Followed by our replicas of the above on YouTube shorts viz. sixth and seventh: 

Here's our 6th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/l6z86K3PBt

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 10, 2023

Video short 7:

Here's our 7th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/POOHH4r83a

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 10, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 157 of 2023

0940hrs:

Still in those green pastures of Goi. A short video clip is presented today for our readers cum viewers:

#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 15 - #Goi #Kotli #06062023
A beautiful land where most human problems & issues r totally unavoidable, if only there was #Governance We spent a good part of y'day battling 4 a 20KG sack of flour & finally succeeded late n the evening after paying 35% xtra pic.twitter.com/qVo4lLmxM9

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) June 6, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 156 of 2023

0921hrs:

In green pastures near the LOC at Goi:

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As anticipated, the Government of AJK and the Government of Pakistan are playing it sly, in reference to absorbing this territory into Pakistan without the all important people's reference. Here's a letter written to the prime minister of AJK, written by the founder of the Centre For Jammu Kashmir Public Diplomacy Qauyyum Raja, urging the former to make the content of the recent 15th amendment public. The fact that the AJK legislative assembly is not making this amendment public speaks volumes about the intent of both the Pakistani State and its political proxy in this territory:

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Here's our eighth TikTok offering:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 14 - #Dhanwa #Goi #Kotli #AJK - ZK #05062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

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And our fifth YouTube offering:

Here's our 5th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/3nLw8IEt09

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 10, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 155 of 2023

1635hrs:

The words 'quantum', 'multiplier', 'compound' and other such come to mind as we crunch data with increasing intensity by the day.

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Here's our seventh TikTok offering:

@ajkpublicagency #AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023#AJKReferendum2023 - Day 13 - #Naar #DauliyaJattan #Kotli #AJK - Vox Pop #04062023 ♬ original sound - Tanveer Ahmed

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Likewise, our fourth YouTube Short offering:

Here's our 4th offering on our YouTube channel ref. #AJKReferendum2023https://t.co/GUAtXEymT5

— JKA PUBLIC AGENCY (@jkapublicagency) June 10, 2023

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 154 of 2023

2014hrs:

If the foundation is peaceful and ethical, the democracy and legality will flow like a river and reach the ocean of humanity.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 153 of 2023

2323hrs:

We can keep communicating and looking forward, while introspecting on the past. 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 152 of 2023

1828hrs:

The train named #AJKReferendum2023 is gaining momentum.

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