Writing in the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung, a well-known daily of Zurich,Switzerland (May 28,1998), its Editor, Andreas Ruesch, who had visited the POK,said: "It is not surprising that the rump state of Azad Kashmir is kept onan extremely short leash. Though Pakistan has never annexed it in order not toviolate UN resolutions, it treats the area as one of its own provinces. AzadKashmir has its own parliament, prime minister and president, but theirauthority is very limited. Foreign policy is forged in Islamabad, Pakistanitroops guard the frontline, and the economically weak region lives on financialinjections from the "motherland." As one local journalist points out,whoever is at the helm in Islamabad has enough ways of manipulating thesituation to help their own party people to win elections in Azad Kashmir. Thedegree of the region's dependence on Pakistan is also illustrated by its 1974interim constitution, which forbids political activity that does not accord withthe doctrine of Kashmir as part of Pakistan - including Kashmiri independencemovements. Anyone wishing to run for a parliamentary seat in Muzaffarabad mustsign a loyalty declaration to that effect.