SKARDU, Dec 19: The refugees of Shyoke and Kargil sectors, who had been displaced during the 1948 and 1971 wars, in the Northern Areas are living in miserable conditions for the last 36 years thanks to the apathy of the authorities concerned.

About 1,500 refugee families of Kargil and Ladakh areas are living in Skardu and Ghanche without any proper rehabilitation facility.

Former president Gen (retired) Pervez Musharraf had allocated Rs22 million for an irrigation scheme to irrigate barren land allotted to them at Sarfa Ranga in 1979. Although the scheme has almost been completed and had even been inaugurated by the chief secretary of the Northern Areas during his visit to Baltistan but he did not mention anything about their proper rehabilitation.

Talking to Dawn on the occasion of the World’s Refugee Day, Mohammad Khan, the president of the refugees of 1971, said: “We have been repeatedly demanding of the successive governments of Pakistan since our migration in 1971 for our proper rehabilitation, a seat in the Northern Areas Legislative Assembly, special seats for our children in different colleges and universities of the country and job quota for the homeless people in different government departments, but our pleas have been falling on deaf ears.”

He said Senator Nisar Memon, during a meeting with the refugees’ elders in Skardu two years ago, had promised to reserve a seat in the legislative assembly as an observer. But the promise has so far not been fulfilled,” he said, adding that due to absence of a representative of the refugees in the legislative assembly their genuine demands were not been fulfilled.

Subedar Maj (retired) Sher Ali said they were fighting against the Indian forces but their villages ended up in the occupation of the Indian army.

He said after routes along the LoC in Azad Kashmir and Lahore were reopened, the refugees of 1971 in Baltistan requested the president, prime minister and chairman of the Northern Areas to restore Khaplu–Ladakh and Skardu–Kargil roads too so that the divided families on both sides of the LoC could meet each other, but their requests were paid no heed.

Subedar (retired) Ghulam Qadir said the Indian and Pakistani governments had mutually agreed to open routes at various points in Kashmir to facilitate the divided families. But unfortunately we were totally ignored and the governments did not bother to open any route across the LoC in the Northern Areas even on humanitarian ground.

This was unjust and deprived us of our fundamental rights under UN human rights charter article No 13(2), he added. Mr Qadir said Khaplu–Ladakh and Skardu–Kargil roads should be restored immediately so that the divided families could meet each other.

The villages of Chulunkha, Toortuk and Tiaqsi were the last part of Pakistan in Nobra sector, but during the 1971 war, the Indian army captured this valley. All villagers of Chulunkha migrated to Khaplu and Skardu during the night but several families belonging to Toortuk, Tiaqshi, Dowe Thang and Byoqdang remained divided on both sides of the LoC.

People of Chulunkha, Toortuk, Tiaqshi and Dowey Thang have played a vital role in defending the frontiers of Pakistan along with Pakistans army during the wars of 1948, 1965 and 1971. They not only sacrificed their lives for the defence of the country, but also provided food and water to the Pakistani troops fighting the Indians on the high mountainous pickets like Gangchan, Dooru and Khandar.

The government of Pakistan has established a special department in Azad Kashmir, headed by a deputy commissioner, to look after the problems of the refugees and 100 kanals were provided to each refugee family in Punjab. Besides, the refugees of Azad Kashmir are being given Rs10,000 per family, special seats have been allocated to their children in various colleges and universities of the country as well as many other incentives.

On the other hand, the refugees of 1948 and 1971 wars still remain deprived of any government assistance.

As a result between 15,000 to 20,000 displaced people are living in miserable conditions in various parts of the Northern Areas and other places of the country.

Keeping in view the sacrifices rendered by these people for the defence of the country the government should address the issues of the refugees of 1948 and 1971 wars and provide them all basic rights on the par with the refugees of Azad Kashmir.