Pakistan says IOK domicile law violates UNSC resolutions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned Indian government’s attempts to further deprive the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoJ&K) through “Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure), 2020”.

“The new domicile law is illegal and in clear violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, international law including the 4th Geneva Convention and bilateral agreements between Pakistan and India,” the Foreign Office said in a press release.

The United Nations and the international community were urged to take immediate action to stop India from changing the demography and distinct identity of IoJ&K and “hold India accountable for the persistent violations of international law”, it said.

The domicile law was aimed at changing the demographic structure of IoJ&K and undermining the exercise by the Kashmiri people of their right to self-determination through free and impartial plebiscite as per the relevant UNSC resolutions, it added.

“We reiterate that such steps can neither change the disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir recognised as such by the United Nations and the international community nor can they prejudice the inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people,” the Foreign Office said.

The timing of this illegal Indian action was particularly reprehensible as it used the world community’s preoccupation with the Covid-19 pandemic and reflected the opportunistic and morally bankrupt mindset of RSS-BJP combine, it said.

“Like the earlier illegal Indian actions, the people of IoJ&K have completely rejected the domicile law as ‘unacceptable’,” it said, adding: “The Kashmiri people will never accept the sinister ‘Hindutva’ agenda of dispossessing them of their land, marginalising them politically and economically, and depriving them of their distinct identity.”

According to the statement, Pakistan has been consistently sensitising the international community about the real Indian designs behind its illegal and unilateral actions of August 5 last year.

Through these actions along with continuing restrictions, excruciating military crackdown, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detentions and incarcerations, and grave human rights violations, India sought to perpetuate its illegal occupation of IoJ&K.

“India will never succeed in its designs to subjugate the people of IoJ&K or break their will by relentless state-terrorism,” it said. “Pakistan will continue highlighting the plight of Kashmiri people at all international fora till the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions,” it added.