Muzaffarabad, Feb. 26 -- Two decades after the devastating 2005 earthquake, Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) remains a region marked by broken promises, neglect, and systemic failure. Despite the years that have passed, the region serves as a grim reminder of governmental inefficiency, with thousands of children still forced to study under the open sky due to unfinished school buildings.

The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) and the Disaster Recovery Unit (DRU) have failed to clear payments to contractors, citing Pakistan's ongoing financial crisis. According to reports, contractors are still awaiting payments for work completed years ago.

A local contractor, Syed Aslam Kazmi, who finished his proje...