Ahead of LS polls, PoJK refugees call on political parties to clear stand on their demands

Jammu: SOS International, an organization for Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) Displaced Persons, on Sunday, asked the political parties and candidates contesting from the newly carved Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat in Jammu and Kashmir to clear their stand on nine major demands of refugees.

PoJK displaced persons have demanded the implementation of the PoJK Refugees package; reservation of eight seats in the J&K Assembly for the displaced people; providing equal facilities to all the refugees displaced from PoJK on the lines of the displaced people of Kashmir Valley; and inclusion of 5,300 PoJK displaced families settled outside the J&K within the ambit of the Refugees package, SOS International said in a statement.

Their demands also include granting Scheduled Tribe status to the entire PoJK refugee community belonging to Pahari clan, tribe and ethnicity; allowing PoJK displaced people to visit their religious places located in PoJK; to get back the cash deposited by PoJK refugees in Jammu and Kashmir Bank Mirpur before displacement; formation of Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Gilgit scouts to guard the Line of Control to prevent infiltration; and restoration of land rights under sections 578 and 254C.

Addressing a gathering of PoJK displaced persons in Rajouri, SOS International Chairman Rajiv Chuni said it is high time for all political parties and candidates to publicly announce their full support to all major demands of refugees if they are serious about getting nearly 1.5 lakh votes of PoJK displaced persons in Rajouri and Poonch districts, the statement added.