AJK PM orders high alert as pregnant woman’s death sparks outcry in snowbound Neelum

People gather to offer the funeral prayers of a pregnant
 woman in Taobutt Bala village of Neelum valley on Sunday. 

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq on Sunday directed the administration to remain on high alert amid harsh winter conditions in upper Neelum Valley, following the tragic death of a pregnant woman blamed on limited healthcare access.  

According to an official press release, in light of the prime minister's directives, divisional commissioner Masoodur Rehman had urgently departed for the valley along with senior officers from various divisional departments.

Reports from Neelum valley said a 21-year-old woman from Taobutt Bala, the valley’s last village, died Saturday night while being carried on foot to the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Kel. 

Her family blamed the death on blocked roads and inadequate health facilities.  

Kel is 156 kilometers from Muzaffarabad, with Taobutt another 45 kilometers ahead. The area, known as Gurez sub-valley, is frequently cut off in winter due to heavy snowfall.  

Local journalist Hayat Awan told this scribe that the woman’s relatives and neighbours protested by placing her body on the snow, accusing the government of negligence. 

Videos circulating online showed a local bearded leader addressing mourners, saying, “The state’s negligence pushed this woman to her death.” 

He maintained that the snowfall this year was not severe enough to justify the failure to keep roads open.  

However, when contacted by this scribe, Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Ahmed Janjua clarified that temperatures had plummeted to -15°C, causing parts of the Neelum River to freeze and making road clearance exceptionally difficult.  

“Continuous snowfall and frost make the main artery and link roads impassable. Even heavy machinery struggles in these conditions,” he said, sharing a video of a snowplow stuck on an icy road.  

Mr Janjua said road crews had managed to clear the route up to Kareemabad, just 4 kilometres from Taobutt, “marking a first in the valley’s history in such extreme weather.” 

However, he noted that overnight frost often turned cleared roads into slippery, glass-like surfaces.  

He dismissed claims of inadequate healthcare, stating that upper Neelum had several health facilities, including a THQ Hospital equipped with specialist doctors, gynaecologists, and medicines. Additionally, the Pakistan Army also operated health facilities in the area.  

He said the administration had pre-stocked six months’ worth of flour and seven months’ worth of medicines in anticipation of winter. Despite severe weather, telecommunications and health centres remained operational, and private traders had stocked essential items for the season.  

He said the prime minister was personally taking feedback about the progress with regard to his directives. 

Mr Janjua
urged critics to acknowledge efforts alongside raising concerns, keeping in view the challenges posed by the region’s extreme climate.

Tariq Naqash