India’s unilateral demographic engineering in IIOJK condemned widely
On the 6th anniversary of abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A by India on August 5, 2019, civil society, members of the Parliament, academia and different walks of live on Tuesday expressed solidarity with the people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJ&K) and condemned Modi government’s attempts at its demographic and electoral engineering in the occupied valley.
A number of seminars and events, rallies ad protest demonstration marked the day and the participants condemned continued oppressive measures by the Indian armed forces and reiterated their resolve to stand by their Kashmiri brothers and sisters. The Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) also organized a seminar ‘August 5 and Beyond: Violations of International Law and Human Rights in IIOJK’ that was addressed by former President of the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) Sardar Masood Khan.
Sardar Masood Khan in his address termed abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A as violation of the UN resolutions of 1948, whereas 35-A never mattered as it was never implemented. He also shunned the general impression that tribals from Mansehra had moved into Kashmir to liberate it and added that the locals took the liberation movement in their hands.
Masood Khan questioned, “if India has given development and prosperity since 2019, then what it is afraid of and why Kashmiris are still not being allowed to visit Mazar-e-Shuhada?” He observed that freedom movement is imbibed in Kashmiris, and no amount of maneuvering can dishearten them from their cause and Pakistan. He also paid tributes to consecutive governments in Pakistan who endured pressure on Kashmir, and stood fast.
President IPRI Lt Gen (R) Majid Ehsan talks about the constitutional and political excesses that have followed the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A by New Delhi, and termed it as utter disregard to not only the constitution of India but also UN resolutions. He highlighted the gerrymandering of realities by India since Aug 5, 2019, and observed that it has impacted ground realities to the detriment of Kashmiris. The manipulations are in the realms of domicile, land and population. President IPRI called for adopting a proactive policy on Kashmir so that the struggle for liberation and self-determination could come full circle.
Director Research Brig (R) Dr Raashid Wali Janjua observed that Aug 5 illegal act has led to demographic, social and political assaults on hapless Kashmiris. By quoting extensively from post-Independence incidents, Dr Janjua said that bit by bit various administrations had started nibbling on the autonomy of the State, especially since the 1953 first constituent assembly, and over the period of time have eroded its autonomy and identity.
He said millions of non-resident Kashmiris were doled out with domiciles, apart the terror incidents have led to more than 2030 pellet casualties, around 27000 incarcerations, and a damage of $9billion since August 5, 2019.
