Jammu and Kashmir property bill sails through NA panel

The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan on Monday unanimously passed the Jammu and Kashmir Administration of Property (Amendment Bill), 2021.
The panel, presided over by Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan, was told that the proposed amendment was being carried out in line with the directions of the Supreme Court.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur briefed the committee about objectives and reasons for bringing the proposed amendment in the existing law. He said the initiative would help ensure timely disposal of the matters pertaining to properties.

The meeting was told that a number of development schemes worth billions of rupees were being carried out in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the year 2021-22.

Seven special development projects worth billions of rupees would also be undertaken in different parts of Gilgit-Baltistan by the federal government under the Prime Minister’s package.

The committee decided to visit Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in near future in order to oversee the physical progress of the projects.

An official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed the committee on Pakistan’s policy concerning Kashmir and steps taken by the government to seek support from the International Community on the matter. The official informed the committee that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had sent a letter to 20 world leaders regarding the Kashmir issue.

The committee noted that the unilateral and illegal steps taken by India on August 5, 2019, were in clear violation of United Nations Security Council’s resolutions, bilateral agreements and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention, particularly Articles 27 and 49.

The body expressed its full support towards Pakistan’s stance to continue providing all possible support to the Kashmiri people until they achieve their legitimate right of self-determination.

Among others, the meeting was attended by multiple members of the National Assembly, including Mehboob Shah, Muhammad Bashir Khan, Makhdoom Syed Sami-ul-Hassan Gillani, Niaz Ahmed Jakhar, Rubina Jamil, Ghazala Saifi, Jamshed Thomas, Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, Nasir Iqbal Bosal, Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmed Khan Babar and Shamim Ara Panhwar.