Pakistan slams India for issuing illegal IOJ&K domiciles to non-Kashmiris

Latest action has vindicated Islamabad's stance that Delhi aims to alter demography of Occupied Kashmir, says FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday categorically rejected the grant of domicile certificates of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) to Indian nationals, which observers believe is an attempt to alter demography of the Muslim-majority area.

The certificate, a sort of citizenship right, entitles a person to residency and government jobs in the region, which till last year were reserved only for the local population.

A statement issued by Foreign Office Spokesperson Aishaq Farooqui said reportedly 25,000 Indian national were issued "bogus" domicile certificate, a move which was also rejected by the Kashmiris.

"The certificates issued to non-Kashmiris including, among others, the Indian government officials under "Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure), 2020" are illegal, void and in complete violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and International law including the 4th Geneva Convention," read the official statement.

India grants thousands citizenship rights in Occupied Kashmir

The latest action also vindicates Pakistan’s consistent stance that the major intention behind the Indian government's illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 was to change the demographic structure of IOJ&K and turn Kashmiris into a minority in their own land, the statement added.

"This has long been part of the RSS-BJP’s 'Hindutva' agenda."

The spokesperson said Modi-led Indian government intends to undermine the exercise by the Kashmiri people of their right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nation as per the relevant UNSC resolutions.

"Through these reprehensible actions, along with continuing restrictions, excruciating military crackdown, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detentions and incarcerations, and unabated grave human rights violations, India seeks to further perpetuate its illegal occupation of IOJ&K," the statement added.

Farooqui said India has failed to break the will of the Kashmiri people through suppression "and it will not succeed in doing so in the future".



The United Nations and the international community must intervene to stop India from changing the demographic structure of IOJ&K by settling people from India in a territory that it has illegally occupied and the status of which remains disputed, demanded the FO.

"India must be urged to immediately cancel all the domicile certificates of IOJ&K issued illegally, revoke unlawful rules aimed at further disempowering and disenfranchising the Kashmiris by effecting a demographic change, and comply with its international legal obligations through implementation of the relevant UNSC resolutions."

The recipients of the domicile certificates must know that India has no legal authority to bring in and settle people from outside the occupied valley, it said, adding that the international law bars India from such illegal actions.