Representatives of post-1989 migrants from India occupied Kashmir have called upon the prime ministers and parliamentary leaders of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to "substantially increase their monthly subsistence allowance to help them make both ends meet."
The demand, through different letters, was on Wednesday publicly endorsed by Syed Salahuddin, the head of an alliance of indigenous Kashmiris outfits struggling to overthrow Indian occupation.
According to the official records, 7855 families, comprising 43037 persons, are registered with the AJK rehabilitation department as refugees from across the divide.
Of them, 3101 families, comprising 17340 persons, are living in 11 camps in Muzaffarabad and Jhelum valley districts, 1159 families, comprising 6766 persons, in five camps in Bagh district and 814 families, comprising 4556 persons, in two camps in Kotli district.
Apart from them, 2781 families, comprising 14375 persons, are living out of camps in different towns.
The government provides a monthly subsistence allowance of Rs 2000 to each of them. Additionally, a monthly stipend ranging from Rs 100 to 300 is given to students from nursery to university students.
However, according to Uzair Ahmed Ghazali and other representatives of refugees, they were finding it next to impossible to make both ends meet in this paltry allowance.
“Some three decades ago, we left our homes and hearths in occupied Kashmir due to the savagery of the Indian army and have been living ever since in makeshift camps in miserable conditions,” said Mr Ghazali.
“The sense of deprivation among the refugees is multiplying with each passing day which should be a matter of grave concern for the Kashmiri and Pakistani leadership,” he added.
Mr Ghazali said they had urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas to increase the monthly subsistence allowance by Rs 1500 (taking it to Rs 3500 per person) and were expecting a favourable response from them.
He demanded of the AJK government to allot the two to three marla land of their abodes in different camps to the refugees to help them obtain ‘domicile certificates.’
The refugee leader regretted that the 6pc quota of refugees in AJK government jobs was not being fully implemented due to which hundreds of educated youths were unable to secure inductions.
Mr Ghazali said the post 1989 refugees wanted the AJK government to reserve two seats in the Legislative Assembly for them so that their representatives could "put their share in policy making on their rehabilitation as well as the Kashmir freedom movement."
Meanwhile, in a statement, United Jihad Council chief Syed Salahuddin called upon “all people at the helm” to take immediate steps to ameliorate the living conditions of post-1989 migrants.
“If the salaries of dearness-stricken government officials can be raised considerably, why those terrorised by the Indian army have been ignored,” he said.
He warned that inaction to address the “grave situation” on a priority basis was bound to leave a negative impact on the freedom movement.”
Tariq Naqash
