Pakistan, Aug. 29 -- Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani took the oath as Azad Jammu and Kashmir's prime minister on Friday after securing 30 of the 44 votes cast in the Legislative Assembly. While the vote finally completes a constitutional process, it cannot, by itself, repair the distance that has grown between government and citizens.

AJK now needs a government that listens beyond Muzaffarabad and hears grievances before they harden into political confrontation. Reconciliation among established parties is insufficient if political space remains closed to local representatives.

Raging fault lines over prices, public services, elite privilege and political representation require the attention of civilian government. Otherwise, they ac...