Islamabad, February 06, 2023 (PPI-OT):Indian occupied Jammu Kashmir is under unprecedented censorship and facing Israeli style settler colonialism since New Delhi unilaterally and illegally revoked its special status in August 2019. This was stated by the Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) in a statement issued in Islamabad. “The massive administrative and legislative changes in IIOJK have removed restriction that prevented a non-Kashmir to buy any property for residential or commercial use,” the statement said.
“The annulment of erstwhile state laws also allows the Indian armed forces to take over land wherever they desire and gives sweeping powers to the Indian government to take over any land and property in the name of ‘industrial’ use.” The demolition drive has picked its pace in 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir where revenue officials, police and bulldozers remain active affecting the livelihood of Kashmiris, the LFK said.
The Legal Forum for Kashmir has prepared a fact sheet report titled ‘The Great Land Grab: Disempowering People in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’. The fact sheet has exposed the occupying state’s Israeli model of systematic settler colonial process in IIOJK by allowing ‘Anti- encroachment drive’ against the civilian population of Jammu Kashmir with the aim to dislodge them from these agricultural and non-agriculture properties which would lead to their economic disempowerment. The fact sheet has prepared the list of the Tehsil/Village wise area of land under the proper description and identified that land measuring 178005.213 acres in Kashmir region and 25,159.56 acres in Jammu forcibly taken by occupying the Indian authorities without serving any notices to the owners.
“The Revenue departments’ 11737 pages list of the alleged ‘State land’ issued in 20 districts of IIOJK is basically owned by the Kashmiris under the Big Landed estate Abolition Act (Agrarian reforms act), JK State land vesting of ownership Act 2001, JK Evacuees (Administration) of Property Act, Jammu and Kashmir Tenancy Act 1980, Jammu and Kashmir Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1956 and other numerous orders passed by the erstwhile state government in favor of Landless peasants.” The LFK said that anti-encroachment drive was a process of demographic engineering to settler outside business and give them the voting and other aligned rights. The Modi regime is violating the human right and Humanitarian principle and also the 13 United Nation Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, the LFK said.
“The fact sheet also recommends that Secretary General United Nation under Article 99 of UN charter should use all diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means to assist Indian occupied Jammu Kashmir in meeting its responsibility to protect its people from forced eviction, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It should take collective action in accordance with the United Nations Charter, as necessary.” The Security Council should ensure accountability for crimes under international law committed in IOJK, preferably by referring the situation to the International Criminal Court or alternatively by creating an ad hoc international criminal tribunal. Further, the Security Council should adopt targeted individual sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes against those who appear most responsible for serious crimes under international law, the statement demanded.
Until the Security Council acts, the General Assembly, or alternatively the Human Rights Council should create an independent, impartial mechanism to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses and to prepare files to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings in international courts or tribunals, the LFK urged.
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