ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday categorically rejected the Indian government’s illegal amendments to land ownership laws in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) promulgated under J-K Re-organisa­tion (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order, 2020.

The highly condemnable Indian action is yet another clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, bilateral agreements bet­ween Pakistan and India and international law, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

It said IIOJK is an internationally recognised dispute under the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and international law.

India’s illegal and unilateral actions of Aug 5, 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, it said.

Changing the demographic structure of the occupied territory is a violation of the 4th Geneva Convention and constitutes war crime, it added.

The Foreign Office said that all these measures and laws, lacking legal and moral legitimacy, were 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.

The statement reiterated that such steps could neither change the disputed nature of IIOJK, recognised as such by the United Nations and the international community, nor could they prejudice the inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.

The United Nations and the international community must take immediate action to stop India from changing the demography and distinct identity of IIOJK and facilitate resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, it said.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2020