Adding insult to injury: Delhi notifies law allowing Indians to buy land in IOJK

ISLAMABAD: As Kashmiris across the world observed a Black Day on Tuesday 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. The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs 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 the 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, reports the international media.

Former chief ministers of the occupied territory termed the move “unacceptable amendments to the land ownership laws” of the occupied valley.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and People's Democratic Party (PDPP chief Mehbooba Mufti condemned the Centre's decision to delimit sale of non-agricultural land in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

The Centre has announced new rules that allow any Indian citizen to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir, reports the international media. As per the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, no domicile or permanent resident certificate was required for purchasing non-agricultural land in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the agricultural land can only be purchased by agriculturalists or people engaged in farm-related activities. Speaking to India Today TV, Omar Abdullah said the new land laws were unacceptable. "They are intended to change the demography of this place," Omar Abdullah said.