Illegal annexation of occupied Kashmir part of policy to target Muslims: PM Imran

After India leaves 1.9mn off citizens' list, PM says ethnic cleansing of Muslims should send alarm bells ringing

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that the illegal annexation of occupied Kashmir is part of a wider policy by the right-wing BJP government in India to target Muslims.

The premier was referring to reports in Indian media regarding the contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC) which has declared at least 1.9 million people – mostly Muslims – as 'illegal residents'.

The NRC list was released today in India’s north-eastern state of Assam that critics said targeted the region’s Muslim minority.

In a tweet, the prime minister added that the Modi government's ethnic cleansing of Muslims should send alarm bells ringing across the world.

The NRC move by India comes mere weeks after India's illegal and unilateral revocation of occupied Kashmir's autonomous status.

Reports in Indian and international media on Modi Govt's ethnic cleansing of Muslims should send alarm bells ringing across the world that the illegal annexation of Kashmir is part of a wider policy to target Muslims.https://t.co/QmjTDyaGVV

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 31, 2019

Resentment against illegal immigrants simmered for years in one of India’s poorest states, with residents blaming outsiders, many said to come from neighbouring Bangladesh, for stealing their jobs and land.

Prateek Hajela,State Coordinator,NRC: A total of 3,11,21,004 persons found eligible for inclusion in final NRC leaving out 19,06,657 persons including those who did not submit their claims.Those not satisfied with outcome can file appeal before Foreigners Tribunals. (file pic) https://t.co/HfgIsjZ6lr pic.twitter.com/A73ATaijTC

— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2019

Those excluded in the NRC list would get 120 days to prove their citizenship at hundreds of regional quasi-judicial bodies known as foreigner’s tribunals. If ruled to be illegal immigrants there, they can appeal to higher courts.

Amnesty International urged the Assam government to ensure the foreigners tribunals function with utmost transparency.

Assam is on the brink of a statelessness crisis which would not only lead to the loss of nationality and liberty of a large group of people but also erosion of their basic rights - severely affecting the lives of generations to come.

— Amnesty India (@AIIndia) August 31, 2019

Critics accuse Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party of stoking the sentiment against illegal immigrants and misusing the register to target even legal Muslim citizens.

His close aide, Home Minister Amit Shah, previously vowed to weed out illegal immigrants, calling them “termites”.

Officials in Assam say they do not know what will eventually be done with those finally adjudged foreigners. Bangladesh has not committed to accepting them.

It is unreasonable to expect people, especially those belonging to poor and marginalized communities and fleeing from violence & natural disasters to preserve half a century-old original identity documents. pic.twitter.com/Lu3a5NdGk8

— Amnesty India (@AIIndia) August 31, 2019

Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari also reacted and said, "...can the West still differentiate between Hitler's Germany and Modi's India? Are they again going to allow a genocide to happen?"

PM Imran has been constantly warning the world of a possible ethnic cleansing of Muslims in occupied Kashmir after Indian abrogated its special status on August 5.

On August 30, Pakistanis came out to observe 'Kashmir Hour' from 12 pm to 12:30 pm on premier’s call and expressed solidarity with Kashmiris in the occupied valley.