Pakistan, Oct. 8 -- Two decades after the devastating October 8, 2005 earthquake, Azad Jammu and Kashmir continues to struggle with incomplete reconstruction and poor urban planning. The 7.6 magnitude quake struck at 8:52 a.m., shaking Muzaffarabad and nearby districts, reducing towns to rubble and claiming over 46,000 lives. Despite large-scale aid and government pledges, many survivors still live without proper housing, education, and healthcare facilities. The tragedy remains one of Pakistan's darkest chapters, revealing how fragile infrastructure worsened the scale of loss.

In the aftermath, thousands of government buildings, schools, and hospitals collapsed due to weak construction standards. Although reconstruction projects were an...