Pakistan has welcomed a statement by the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has condemned and categorically rejected alleged Indian attempts to alter the demographic makeup of Jammu and Kashmir via the issuing of Grant of Domicile Certificates.
#Pakistan welcomes @OIC_IPHRC statement, strongly condemning & rejecting Indian Govt’s illegal actions to redefine domicile rules to alter IoJ&K demographic & terms it ‘Settlement Colonialism’ against @OIC_OCI,UNSC resolutions,4th GENCONV, int’l human rights/humanitarian law.1/2 pic.twitter.com/WJdGywwt1C
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) May 20, 2020
The Islamic body alleges that the rule change would cause Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir to be flooded with people from outside the region. The body said: “Actions undertaken by the Indian Government are designed at systematically paving the way for settlement colonialism through forced demographic change, and institutionalizing a system of domination over the indigenous Muslim population by converting them into a minority within their homeland”.
On Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration set a fast track process in motion to issue the domicile certificates within 15 days.
Pakistan has accused India of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir following the revocation of Article 370, which took away the state’s special status in August 2019.
