The hotel industry of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) announced a 20% cut in room rents across the region on Tuesday, calling on the government to declare Muzaffarabad and Neelum Valley as disaster-hit areas.
The announcement was made by Raja Mohammad Ilyas, Chairman of the AJK Hotels and Guesthouses Action Committee, during a press conference at the Central Press Club in Muzaffarabad. He was joined by hospitality industry representatives Tanveer Qureshi, Abrar Butt, Maqbool Kayani, Iftikhar Ahmed, and senior members of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), Shaukat Nawaz Mir and Anjum Zaman Awan.
Ilyas highlighted that the hotel sector is one of AJK’s largest sources of employment. However, it has suffered heavy losses in recent years due to floods, inflation, economic instability, and rising energy costs.
“Tourism activities in Muzaffarabad and Neelum have almost come to a standstill due to continuous rains, floods, and lack of government support,” he said.
He urged authorities to officially declare both districts as calamity-hit zones, which would enable the affected business community, traders, and daily wage earners to receive compensation and relief.
Praising the recent reduction in electricity tariffs as a victory of public struggle, Ilyas credited the JAAC for its efforts. He stressed that the benefit of these reforms should reach the common man instead of remaining limited to business owners.
“In the same spirit, the hotel industry has decided to reduce room rents by 20 per cent to directly benefit tourists and local customers,” he announced.
He further clarified that strict monitoring will ensure fair implementation of the discount. “If a room previously cost Rs. 1,000, it will now be available at Rs. 800. This decision will be strictly implemented,” he warned.
Speaking at the event, JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir criticized the absence of a structured market system in Muzaffarabad. He said that without proper vegetable, livestock, and wholesale markets, inflation cannot be controlled effectively.
“The business community stands with the people, but it is primarily the government’s responsibility to regulate markets, ensure food availability and stabilise prices,” he said.
Mir also revealed that hotel associations across all districts and tehsils had already prepared official rate lists to prevent overcharging. “Transparent rate lists will be displayed everywhere to facilitate tourists and prevent complaints,” he added.
Raja Ilyas stressed that despite generating significant revenue and providing thousands of jobs, the hotel industry has never been recognized as a priority sector by the government.
“In other countries, whenever the business community faces a crisis, the government steps in with relief packages. Unfortunately, in AJK, no such measures have ever been taken,” he lamented.
Citing the Supreme Court’s decision to abolish GST in Gilgit-Baltistan, he urged the AJK government to adopt similar reforms to boost tourism and improve service delivery.
He also thanked the JAAC for including the hotel industry’s concerns in their charter of demands. “If the government, traders, and public representatives work together, AJK can once again regain its reputation as a paradise-like tourist destination,” he said. “Our collective goal is to establish a sustainable system for prosperity, employment generation, and tourism promotion, which will not only strengthen businesses but also improve public life.”