The Origins of Kashmir Development Foundation
Kashmir Development Foundation (KDF) is a registered organisation under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance of Pakistan. Our mission is to empower underrepresented and marginalised communities, particularly women, children, and young people, by improving access to essential services, social protection, and livelihood opportunities. We integrate community voices, evidence-based advocacy, and capacity building to drive systematic change. KDF’s roots date back to 2000 in Bhimber, Azad Jammu Kashmir. It was formally registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Registration No. 0058485. Kashmir Development Foundation Ltd, a separate and legally independent organisation, is registered in the United Kingdom as a company limited by guarantee (Company No. 05664890) and as a charity in England and Wales (Registered Charity No. 1143891).
Our broader aim is to strengthen local resilience and influence policy. We work through partnerships and collective action to alleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Our main areas of operation are Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and parts of Pakistan where Kashmiri refugees and displaced people live.
Our work is guided by four strategic principles: (i) rights-based community empowerment; (ii) ecosystem and systems development; (iii) evidence-informed policy and advocacy; and (v) inclusive partnership and collective action.
My commitment to this work began long before the formal establishment of Kashmir Development Foundation. I come from a disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir where access to education and development opportunities has historically been limited. I come from a very humble background. I started primary school in a place where there was no furniture. We sat on the bare ground in difficult weather conditions, using jute and pine-tree leaves as bedding for up to five children. Those early experiences shaped my understanding of inequality. They also made me realise that access to education and opportunity cannot be taken for granted.
Despite my humble background and limited opportunities, I was able to achieve the following: an MSc. in Leadership in Practice from Lancaster University, an MA degree in Voluntary and Third Sector Management from Edge Hill University, a Postgraduate Certificate in Equality and Diversity Management from the University of Central Lancashire, and a BSc in engineering from the University of Azad Jammu Kashmir. I also hold a Level 7 Diploma in Management from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), a Level 3 Award in Education and Training, and am a member of ILM. I am also a Multi-Agency Gold Incident Command (MAGIC) qualified senior leader from the College of Policing UK to operate as a strategic or Gold commander during major emergencies and multi-agency responses.
When I went on to study electrical engineering, I became involved in supporting other young people from Kashmir. During my school and college years, we established a youth group, the Kashmir Youth Movement, to help young Kashmiris who came to Rawalpindi and Islamabad for education. We helped them settle into schools and colleges, secure admissions and hostel facilities, and adjust to life away from home. We also shared educational resources. Those who could afford private tuition received it, while those who could not were supported through shared notes and peer assistance.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, we established a blood donor society. Kashmiri patients travelling to hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad faced serious difficulties obtaining safe blood. At that time, concerns about contaminated blood and diseases such as AIDS made blood donation particularly important. We formed what we called the Blood Brother Society, bringing together Kashmiri students living in different hostels and colleges. We organised blood grouping and established a system through which students could donate blood when Kashmiri patients needed it. At one point, we had around 150 members. When a Kashmiri patient arrived at a hospital and required blood, we connected them with our donors and arranged donations on a rotational basis. This taught me something that has remained central to my work ever since- communities possess enormous resources when people are organised around a shared purpose!
My work then expanded into advocacy at national and international levels. In 1999, I was invited by the United Nations to Korea for an NGO trust conference, where I was elected as a representative of underrepresented youth within the system. In 2000, I was invited by the United Nations as Chairman of the Kashmir Youth Movement to attend the Millennium Forum, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 22 to 26 May 2000, bringing together representatives of civil society to contribute to the Millennium Forum. I was present at the UN General Assembly at the time of adoption of the declaration titled: “We the Peoples Millennium Forum Declaration and Agenda for Action: Strengthening the United Nations for the 21st Century.” I subsequently remained involved in youth-sector planning and the United Nations General Assembly, contributing to the development of international youth priorities and agendas. At that time, Kofi Annan was the UN Secretary-General.
When the 2005 earthquake struck Kashmir, our previous experience of community mobilisation became critical. Kashmir Development Foundation emerged in response to this wider history of community need and disaster. We helped establish or rehabilitate 7 schools and science laboratories so that children could continue their education without interruption, alongside shelter for thousands of people, rehabilitation training, and development support by engaging and training volunteers. Our earlier experience of working with communities affected by conflict along the Line of Control had prepared us to respond quickly. During periods of shelling and displacement, people on both sides of the Line of Control were affected. Our volunteers had already been supporting displaced communities across areas including Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, and Bimber. That network helped us mobilise communities immediately after the earthquake on 8th October 2005.
For me, in many ways, the Kashmir Development Foundation has been a lifelong journey. I started this activism when I was around 16 years old, and the commitment has continued to date. After moving to the United Kingdom in 2007, I continued working with public bodies, voluntary organisations, and communities to strengthen participation, equality and access to services.
Building Welfare through Arts, Sports, and Community Development
Our welfare work has gradually expanded beyond emergency relief into long-term community development. We have undertaken peacebuilding projects using sport as a catalyst for connecting communities. In Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as in Indian-administered and western parts of Kashmir, we used polo and volleyball to build relationships among communities. We have also developed art-based peacebuilding projects, both online and offline, involving communities in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Srinagar and Jammu. Through internet connectivity, we have been able to share art-based activities across geographical boundaries.
Today, one of our ongoing initiatives is the Diamond Sports Academy in Tararkhail, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It engages young people, women, children and older people in health and physical activity. Sport provides not only physical benefits but also an opportunity for people of different generations to come together. We have also undertaken water-supply projects. One current initiative is a village water-supply scheme in the Watson area, addressing water and sanitation needs. These projects complement our education and community-development work.
Education remains another major priority. We provide scholarships to young people and support them in accessing higher education. We also provide internships and training opportunities both within Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan and abroad. Where necessary, we contribute towards fees and other logistical requirements. Sometimes a young person needs a computer; sometimes they need an air ticket to participate in international training or a workshop. We have particularly supported young people at MPhil and PhD levels.
Our approach is therefore not simply about assisting. It is about creating opportunities through which people can develop their own capabilities and become more resilient.
Responding to Emergencies and Delivering Essential Supplies
We also recognise that welfare work must respond to emergencies. During periods of displacement and conflict, our volunteer networks have allowed us to mobilise support quickly. That experience continues to inform how we work in remote and vulnerable communities. However, delivering welfare in remote areas is not easy. There are logistical difficulties, high transportation and material costs, and serious challenges around sustainability. Political and security circumstances can also directly affect humanitarian work.
At present, for example, we have seen severe restrictions affecting Azad Jammu and Kashmir. For approximately two months, more than 4.3 million people were reported to have faced restrictions on access to food, medicines, formula milk and other essential goods because of blockades and ongoing protests. Trucks carrying supplies have been blocked from entering Azad Kashmir. Whatever the political dispute may be, ordinary people should not be denied access to essential necessities. A protest in one place or one district does not justify cutting off food and medicine for an entire population. These circumstances create what I would describe as a humanitarian protection emergency. Yet NGOs have faced considerable difficulty functioning and delivering humanitarian assistance.
People from my community ask me why assistance can be mobilised for communities affected by humanitarian crises elsewhere in the world, including Gaza, but similar urgency is not always shown when communities within Pakistan face serious humanitarian need. People in Kashmir ask a simple question: if we are part of Pakistan, why are we not receiving the same humanitarian attention when we face an emergency? More broadly, I believe communities across Pakistan- including Pashtun, Baloch, Sindhi and Kashmiri communities- experience their own forms of disadvantage and suffering. We have become so divided by our separate experiences of pain that we sometimes struggle to join together in addressing one another’s difficulties. We need to find solutions for this and become united for consistent welfare services across the nation.
Changes needed in the Regulatory Systems for Efficient Welfare Services
One of the greatest challenges facing welfare organisations in Pakistan is the regulatory environment. The state has a legitimate responsibility to ensure accountability, transparency and appropriate oversight. Charities are not against checks and balances. We must be accountable for every rupee we receive and spend. The problem is unnecessary bureaucracy, excessive suspicion and administrative requirements that consume the resources that should be reaching beneficiaries. Registered organisations can face multiple layers of administrative requirements and surveillance. For smaller organisations, reporting requirements can become particularly onerous. Large multinational NGOs can afford specialised staff to manage extensive paperwork, but small and medium-sized organisations often cannot. Too much of their limited funding and time can end up being spent on paperwork rather than direct welfare delivery.
This is particularly difficult for organisations working in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. An organisation registered in Pakistan may still require another NOC from the Azad Kashmir government to operate there. At the same time, organisations working primarily in Azad Kashmir can face questions about why they do not work across Pakistan, while those that expand their operations can then be questioned about why they continue to focus on Kashmir.
These barriers do not necessarily have a logical relationship to the actual welfare needs of communities.
There is also a lack of sustained partnership between major Pakistani donors and local organisations in Azad Kashmir. Some organisations may engage local groups only to tick a box, while long-term partnerships remain limited. International funding can create another layer of difficulty. When funds are transferred from an international charity to a Pakistani organisation, extensive documentation and approvals may be required. Kashmir Development Foundation itself has a separately registered charity in the UK. The UK organization and the Pakistan organisation are legally independent entities, although their boards and people understand one another’s work and the challenges involved. Even with this experience, the regulatory difficulties remain. They limit our potential and our capacity to do more.
One example concerns the transfer of funds from a UK charity account to a Pakistani organisation. Organisations may require certification from the Economic Affairs Division. In our experience, funds have been returned because the required NOC was not available or because the relevant policy was under review. On one occasion, money sent from the UK for a project was returned rather than credited to the Pakistani account. The organisation incurred additional banking charges simply because the transaction could not proceed. This is public money. We are accountable to people for every penny, and losing money unnecessarily through banking charges is unacceptable when those resources could have been used for beneficiaries.
I believe the answer is not to remove accountability. It is to make accountability proportionate, transparent, and efficient. If charities can submit documentation electronically and receive timely responses, unnecessary bureaucratic barriers can be overcome while maintaining appropriate safeguards. The same principle applies to financial accountability within charities themselves. If we demand accountability from public institutions, we must also be accountable for our own actions. A proper monitoring and evaluation lifecycle, budget tracking, receipts, financial-management policies and clear procedures are essential.
But transparency is not simply about producing more paperwork. Public trust comes from open and honest spending and reporting.
Tackling the Digital Divide for Equitable Welfare Delivery
Digital solutions are important, but we must also recognise the digital divide. Rural communities often have limited digital literacy and poor connectivity. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, internet restrictions have demonstrated how vulnerable digital-dependent systems can become. During periods of internet shutdown, people may be unable to conduct online business, access banking services or even interact with government institutions online.
These realities must be incorporated into risk assessments and budget planning. We cannot design welfare systems on the assumption that connectivity will always be available.
My advice is therefore to assess risks, identify unintended consequences, develop mitigation mechanisms, and establish strong partnerships on the ground. Though improving digital infrastructure and literacy is vital, it is also important to have on-the-ground access to local leaders for welfare protection in the absence of connectivity.
Improved Project Planning, Budgeting, Stipends for Volunteers & Needs Assessment
One issue that is often overlooked is the value of volunteer time. Volunteers, trustees and community members contribute their time, knowledge, experience and expertise. Their contributions should be recognised as in-kind contributions and reflected in project budgets.
For example, a government project might be budgeted at PKR 1 million because it includes staff, monitoring and evaluation, transportation, administration and other costs. A charity may deliver a similar project for PKR 500,000 because volunteers contribute their time and expertise. But if the charity does not recognise the monetary value of that volunteer contribution, the true cost of the project is not reflected. This creates a sustainability problem.
If a person who is working voluntarily becomes unavailable because of health, employment or other circumstances, the organisation may suddenly need to hire someone with equivalent qualifications and experience. If the project budget has not accounted for that possibility, there may be no money to replace them.
That is why charities need full-cost recovery, succession planning and risk assessment. The time, energy, intellectual contribution and experience of volunteers and trustees have real value and should be recognised in project planning. This is also relevant to perceptions of corruption. Corruption is a manageable risk when organisations have robust governance structures, conflict-of-interest policies and transparent decision-making. If a charity is implementing a project in my own village and I am its Chief Executive Officer, for example, there must be a clear process for determining whether the project is genuinely needed or whether I am benefiting people because they are related to me. Project decisions should be based on robust needs assessments. Beneficiaries must be clearly identified, and any relationship between beneficiaries, project implementers, employees, management or governance structures must be openly declared.
Transparency protects organisations from both actual corruption and the perception of corruption. The value of community contributions should also be recognised. If villagers contribute masonry work, transportation or other labour to a water-supply project simply because they want to support it, that contribution should be recorded as an in-kind contribution. If the charity would otherwise have had to pay someone for that work, its value should be reflected in the project budget.
Collaboration, Avoiding Duplication, and Strategic Partnerships for Efficient Welfare
The most important lesson I have learned is that organisations should not duplicate one another’s work. Before starting a project, look around and find out who else is already working in that area. If another organisation is doing something well, partner with them. If you have money, provide funding. If you have volunteers, provide volunteers. Let the organisation with greater experience deliver the activity.
Partnerships help to reduce costs and increase both efficiency and effectiveness. At the same time, collaboration does not mean that we should ignore poor performance. If another organisation is working in the same thematic or geographical area but has weaker management or resources, we should engage with them rather than simply compete. We can offer better systems, resources, management or expertise and bring them into the process so that they can learn. Even where organisations do not formally partner, they can involve one another as mentors, mentees, or independent monitoring and evaluation partners. If I believe that my organisation is more honest, efficient or effective, I still need someone to monitor us. Independent or partner organisations can provide that external accountability while also strengthening their own capacities. We should increase our allies within the welfare sector rather than create enemies. Organisations working in the same field should see one another as potential collaborators rather than simply competitors. In doing so, the entire sector can grow, and communities can benefit.
Public-private partnerships can also be extremely important. Collaboration can involve government departments, private companies, multinational companies, charities and other organisations. But the terms of reference must be clear. Too often in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, government departments ask charities to undertake work that is essentially a government responsibility. Officials may attend opening ceremonies and receive publicity, while contributing little or nothing financially. This can unintentionally allow the public sector to avoid responsibility for essential community development. If a charity is implementing a project such as a water-supply scheme or school building that requires government support, the relationship should be a genuine partnership.
We have experienced the value of this approach through a water-supply project in Gulkot, Pallandri, Sudhnoti, AJK, supported by the Trust for Voluntary Organisations (TVO) Pakistan. The project required a water-supply scheme, engineering design and an NOC from the local public health department. We could not afford to employ an engineer permanently. We therefore approached the local Public Health Engineering Department and asked whether they could contribute an engineer to the project. They agreed and voluntarily prepared the engineering design, documentation, water-flow calculations, pipeline requirements and other technical components according to government standards. This work could otherwise have cost us around PKR 200,000. We only needed to hire an engineer to supervise the implementation and quality of the project.
This is what partnership can mean in practice: government contributes its technical expertise, while the charity contributes resources and implementation capacity.
The same principle can apply to private businesses. For example, we needed electrical cables for a project. Rather than simply purchasing them from a local wholesaler, we approached the manufacturer and asked whether they could provide them at a reduced cost as a contribution to the project. A cable costing around PKR 40,000 was made available to us at approximately the price offered to wholesalers, generating a contribution in kind. In this way, the key is stakeholder analysis. Before finalising a project, identify all your stakeholders- influencers, collaborators, partners and potential obstructers. Then ask what each stakeholder can contribute to the design, development, and delivery of the project. Public-private partnership should not remain an abstract phrase. We need to understand what it means in practice and integrate it into stakeholder analysis and project design from the beginning.
Listening before Investing in Welfare and Wisdom from the Street
The lessons I would emphasise for the future are simple: listen, value, and invest!
- Listen to your stakeholders, beneficiaries and communities.
- Value the contributions that each stakeholder makes.
- Then invest. Investment is different from simply charitable giving.
In Pakistan, many welfare projects are sometimes approached as a means of earning spiritual reward- as if we are buying a ticket to heaven. There can certainly be spiritual benefits and motivations associated with welfare. But welfare investment should also ask: What outcome will this investment produce? Will it improve health, education, wellbeing or people’s capabilities? Will people learn from it? Will they become more capable and resilient? Will the benefits continue beyond the life of the project?
We also need to be honest about failure. An honest report should explain whether a project succeeded or failed. Failed projects can be just as valuable as successful ones if we identify and publish the lessons learned. If another organisation is planning a similar project, it should not have to repeat the same mistakes simply because we were unwilling to acknowledge ours.
Failure has value when we honestly document why it happened and what others can learn from it. This principle should also guide policymaking. Policymakers frequently consult charities because charities are working on the ground. They listen to their experiences and use their knowledge, but the people who contributed that knowledge are not always properly recognised.
The knowledge of people who live and work in communities every day or the “wisdom of the street” has enormous value! Policymakers should listen to it, recognise it and incorporate it transparently into policy development. Every policy, strategy, and project should also include an impact assessment before and after implementation. At minimum, I believe equality and environmental impact assessments should be incorporated into project proposals. We must ask how a project will affect disabled people, older people, children, women, people with learning disabilities and people who are not literate. Who benefits? Who does not benefit? Why? And what mechanisms are in place to mitigate unintended, unfair, or negative impacts of a welfare intervention?
The same principles should apply to policy consultation. Any major policy or process should have a meaningful consultation period. I recommend at least three months. During that period, the draft policy should be publicly shared along with its intended outcomes, the methods through which those outcomes are expected to be achieved, and draft equality and environmental impact assessments. Stakeholders should then have an opportunity to provide feedback. Importantly, policymakers should publish the feedback they receive from NGOs, stakeholders and individuals and explain what they accepted, what they did not accept, and why.
Ultimately, policymakers have the right to make the final decision because they may have a wider understanding of legislation, policy and the strategic direction of the country or organization. But if consultation is undertaken, it should be meaningful and transparent. People deserve to know that their voices were heard.
My message to the people of Pakistan is simple- Be honest. Be kind and considerate of people’s need. And be focused in achieving your goals!
To read more about the work and welfare services of Kashmir Development Foundation, please visit:
www.x.com/kdfajk