Pakistan slams India for allowing citizens to obtain permanent jobs, residence in IOJK

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan strongly condemned and rejected India’s action aimed at illegally changing the demographic structure of occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK), a Foreign Office press release said Thursday.

“The so-called 'Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Order 2020' is another illegal step by India to settle non-Kashmiris in IOJ&K by changing the domicile laws,” the ministry said, adding: “This is a clear violation of international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention.”

“This action — a continuation of India’s illegal and unilateral steps since August 5, 2019 — also constitutes a violation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions, bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan, and humanitarian norms,” the statement read.

Kashmiris in IOJK have outrightly rejected the new law as “unacceptable” as they will never accept such blatant usurpation of their fundamental rights and attempts to change their demography and distinct identity, the Foreign Office said.

The new domicile law has paved the way for Indian citizens to get permanent resident status as well as jobs in the territory of IOJK.

Before August 5, all jobs in occupied Kashmir were exclusively reserved for permanent residents of the territory.

“The latest Indian action — at this moment of a global health crisis — is particularly reprehensible as it seeks to take advantage of the international community’s focus on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and further advance BJP’s sinister, Hindutva agenda,” the Foreign Office said.

The Foreign Office maintained that Pakistan has been consistently apprising the international community about the BJP government’s designs for demographic change in IOJK to perpetuate India’s illegal occupation of the disputed territory, manifestly against the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

“The United Nations and the international community must take immediate cognizance of this Indian action, prevent India from changing the demography of the occupied territory, and hold India accountable for its persistent violations of international law,” it said.

“On its part, Pakistan will continue to highlight India’s state terrorism in IOJ&K,and its denial of the fundamental freedoms and inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.No matter what its tactics, India will never be able to break the will of the Kashmiri people. Nor will India succeed in its nefarious designs to subjugate the Kashmiris against their wishes,” the Foreign Office added.