Demographic changes in IOK: AJK president urges international community to play due role

Strongly denouncing India's attempt to change the demographic composition of occupied Kashmir, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Masood Khan on Friday called on the international community to play its due role. Speaking at a press conference here, he pointed out that population is being shifted from different Indian states to the occupied valley. He said Pandit and Sainik settlements are also being established in different parts of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK).
The AJK president said Kashmir is a disputed territory and bringing such demographic changes are contrary to the international laws and amount to war crimes. He reminded the global community about the United Nations Security Council and UN General Assembly passed resolutions on the matter.
Commenting on US President Donald Trump's offer of mediation on Kashmir, the AJK president said Kashmir is not a bilateral issue between Pakistan and India, but a global issue, and Kashmiris mediation offer from not only by the US president but also support from other permanent members of UN Security Council or any other organisations or personalities in accordance with the provision of Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charters.
He said Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) have welcomed the US president's offer of mediation between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute. Masood said Kashmir is a flashpoint between two nuclear armed South Asian nations and the present Indian government dominated by Hindu extremists has started taking various steps to change demography of the held valley. He said after the Trump's mediation offer, the Indian government sent 10,000 more troops to the held valley and take the total number of troops from 780,000 to 790,000 armymen in the held Kashmir.
Khan said India should stop such tactics as it will only further from 780,000 the situation in the valley, adding that the country cannot suppress Kashmiris freedom voice by such means. He stressed for the resolution of Kashmir dispute as soon as possible. The Azad Kashmir president said India is resorting to unprovoked firing on the Line of Control to divert attention from the situation in Occupied Kashmir.
He said that not only the Kashmir political parties against Indian rule but those towing Indian lines including National Conference of Farooq Abdullah and People Democratic Party (PDP) and others also have denounced the Indian government's move to bring constitutional changes in the Indian constitution to pave the way for settling people from various parts of India in Kashmir. Masood said under the black laws, India had given free hand to its troops using brute force against the unarmed and peaceful Kashmiri people. "The Kashmiri youth are being deprived of their eyesight through the use of lethal pellet-guns," he added.
"These reports besides urging India to stop human rights violations; cease the use of pellet-guns and give up attempts to change demography of Kashmir, have also called on India to respect the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people which has the protection of international law," he added.
He regretted that instead of resolving Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, India has waged a demonization and persecution campaign against the Kashmir liberation movement. Masood said the agenda of the partition would remain unfinished till the liberation of occupied Kashmir and its accession to Pakistan. "The Kashmiris are peaceful people, and they want a peaceful solution to the issue," he declared.