COVID-19 PANDEMIC: EVALUATING PUBLIC DISCOURSE ON THE EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL MEASURES TAKEN IN AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Abstract

The global health crisis, 21st century’s technological jammer, Covid-19 pandemic was reported first week of January in Wuhan Province of China which killed thousands of citizens in days and soon after went up infecting and killing thousands of people in each of the other regions of the globe comprising Iran, Italy, Spain, USA, Denmark, Germany, UK, India and Pakistan etc. which was reported by international media on regular basis. It also created fear and embarrassment in the region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the area of 4.2 million people adjoining its opened borders with Pakistan. Keeping in view, the flooded devastation in the world, Azad Jammu and Kashmir administration imposed complete lockdown and took various protective measures including closing the educational institutions and entry points with Pakistan due to which number of infected people and corona deaths remained very few which is a surprising fact in the scenario when the entire world is facing the second wave of this pandemic. Thus, this phenomenon has attracted the attention of the research institutions and research scientists of the world to probe into this phenomenon that how AJK administration emerged as successful administration to protect the lives of the millions of the people in its territory. That is why, the current study has been conducted which endeavours to find the type of protective measures and administrative strategies which stopped this contagion. In this respect, using social media, particularly, WhatsApp, 622 questionnaires were distributed and received 541 completely filled up responses back but only 500 questionnaire of the state of AJ&K were selected for analysis. This data was analysed by using statistical and thematic analysis. To substantiate this study, brief interviews of 100 highly educated individuals from education department, medical department, and local administration were organized and due to almost similar responses, only 20 recorded interviews were selected for this study by using simple random sampling technique. This obtained data was analysed through thematic analysis. The study finds that administrative measures in the first two months (March and April 2020) remained successful, middle part of the pandemic duration comprised of next two months (May and June 2020) experienced loose administrative measures, whereas the last two months (July and August 2020) revealed effective administrative measures to control covid-19 pandemic.