Pakistan Asks India To Rescind 1.85 M 'bogus' Domiciles In IIOJK

The Foreign Office on Thursday asked India to immediately rescind over 1.85 million bogus domiciles distributed to non-Kashmiris since June, saying 'no illegal order could provide legal cover for demographic change in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2020 ):The Foreign Office on Thursday asked India to immediately rescind over 1.85 million bogus domiciles distributed to non-Kashmiris since June, saying 'no illegal order could provide legal cover for demographic change in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

"Being in violation of international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention and the UNSC resolutions, the Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate Rules 2020 is illegal and void ab-initio," Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said at a weekly press briefing.

He said Pakistan had been consistently stressing that by changing the demographic structure of IIOJK, India was trying to undermine the exercises by the Kashmiri people of their right to self-determination, through a free and impartial plebiscite under the United Nations auspices as per the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

The spokesperson said Pakistan categorically rejected and condemned India's continued attempts to illegally alter the demographic structure of IIOJK. The officials involved in issuance of sham domicile certificates must know that the illegal exercise was a serious crime against the Kashmiri people, he added.

Zahid Chaudhri said Pakistan deeply appreciated the statement by the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (OIC-IPHRC), strongly condemning the extrajudicial killings by the Indian occupation forces.

The Commission had called for establishment of a Commission of Inquiry under the UN to investigate these extrajudicial killings and grave human rights violations, he added.

The spokesperson lauded that the Commission also urged India to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA), and respect the Kashmiris' right to self-determination as per the UN and OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) resolutions.

He called upon the international community to take cognizance of the July 18 incident where the Kashmiri labourers were killed and other acts indicative of the RSS-BJP regime's genocidal tendencies.

He said three young Kashmiri boys, who had come to Shopian to work as labourers in apple orchards, were extra judicially killed by the Indian occupation forces. To cover up the "cold blooded" murder of the innocent Kashmiris, the Indian occupation army had claimed that the three were "unidentified terrorists".

To further hide their crime, instead of handing over the human remains to the families of the victims, the Indian occupation forces had buried them in a graveyard marked for "foreign terrorists", he added Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said the Indian Army's statement was an acknowledgement of the fact that "Indian occupation forces were guilty of war crimes in IIOJK".

Pakistan, he said, strongly rejected and denounced the Indian occupation army's statement, indicating disciplinary proceedings against the officials for the crime.

"India must realize that it cannot cover up such heinous crimes of the occupation army through disciplinary proceedings," he said.

He stressed,"Neither the Kashmiri people nor Pakistan or the international community will accept such farcical proceedings." He said extrajudicial killings and demographic change in the IIOJK were amongst the serious most challenges, requiring immediate attention of the world community.

He termed the acts "serious war crimes", calling for their thorough investigation through a transparent judicial inquiry under the international scrutiny.

The FO spokesperson confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would virtually address the session of 75th General Assembly with the theme "The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism confronting COVID-19 through effective multilateral action." In his address, he said, the prime minister would share Pakistan's perspective on various regional and international issues, and once again raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

He said in his wide-ranging address, the prime minister would also share Pakistan's successful handling of COVID-19, his debt relief initiative for developing countries and Islamophobia.

The spokesperson said to provide first-hand knowledge of the ground situation of the Line of Control, Pakistan had once again arranged a visit of Islamabad-based ambassadors, diplomats and defence attachs to the LoC on Thursday.

On the contrary despite repeated calls, he said, India had been denying access to the international media, UN observers and humanitarian organizations to hide its false claims and the worst humanitarian situation in the IIOJK.

On mysterious killing of 11 members of a Pakistani Hindu family in Jodhpur, India, the spokesperson called upon the Indian government to provide the requisite information without further delay, and carry out a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the matter and share its findings with Pakistan immediately.