Pakistan rejects India’s 'illegal amendments' in occupied Kashmir's land ownership laws

Pakistan on Wednesday categorically rejected India’s recent illegal amendments in the land ownership laws in occupied Kashmir, saying it was a “clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions, bilateral agreements between Pakistan and India, and international law”.

The Foreign Office in a statement reminded India that the valley is an “internationally recognised dispute under the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions and international law”.

“India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, and subsequent measures, particularly the domicile law and now the land ownership laws, are aimed at changing the demographic structure of IIOJK to convert the Kashmiris into a minority in their own land,” noted the FO.

It added that by changing the demographic structure of the occupied valley, New Delhi was violating the 4th Geneva Convention and committing a “war crime”.

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“All these measures and laws, lacking legal and moral legitimacy, are forced upon the oppressed people of IIOJK through the barrel of the gun with an unprecedented military siege in the most militarised zone in the world,” said the FO.

Pakistan reiterated that such steps can neither change the disputed nature of the region as recognised by the United Nations and the international community nor can they “prejudice the inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people”.

Pakistan urged the UN and the international community to take "immediate action to stop India from changing the demography and distinct identity” of occupied Kashmir.

It also asked global body of nations to urge new Delhi to facilitate the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

India notifies law allowing Indians to buy land in IoK

On Tuesday, as Kashmiris across the world were observing a Black Day to mark India's occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi added insult to their injury by notifying a law allowing any Indian citizen to buy land in their occupied homeland.

According to the Times of India and other outlets, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has notified new laws for the occupied territory, called UT of Jammu and Kashmir Re-organisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order 2020.

The publication reported that the notification allows any Indian citizen to purchase land in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The new law has removed the condition that individuals purchasing land in the occupied territory be a permanent resident of the occupied valley.

Read more: Moeed Yusuf says India trying to spread false narrative of an agreement reached on IoK

India has, since August of last year, had its eyes on illegally changing the demography of the occupied territory, ever since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government revoked Article 370 of their constitution to attempt to annex the disputed territory.

Soon after the move, India placed crippling restrictions in the valley, repeatedly shutting down mobile and internet services and restricting the mobility of its citizens.

In May of this year, India further expanded its annexation program by Passing the 'Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Order 2020' to settle non-Kashmiris in occupied territory by changing the domicile laws.