Uzair Ghazali briefs NA’s parliamentary committee on challenges faced by post-1989 Kashmiri refugees

post-1989 Kashmiri refugees
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ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, a leader of the post-1989 Kashmiri refugees, has briefed the National Assembly’s sub-committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees on the struggles faced by the Kashmiri refugees and demanded immediate fulfillment.

In a meeting held in Islamabad on Thursday under the chairmanship of MNA Muhammad Riaz Fatyana, Ghazali said that refugees from across the Line of Control (LoC) still face significant challenges, including a lack of land ownership, inadequate housing, limited civil rights, and insufficient subsistence allowances

He told the committee members that refugees are confined to settlements without owning land or having proper housing. “Refugees do not have full civil rights and identity, making it difficult to obtain a domicile and renew identity cards,” he said.

Amid the rising inflation, he said, the daily subsistence allowance is not enough to cover basic needs, including education and healthcare.

He further stated that the non-implementation of the 6% quota in government jobs has led to extreme disappointment and unemployment among youth.

Moreover, Ghazali informed the parliamentary committee that the refugees have not been given representation in the Legislative Assembly of Azad Kashmir to date. He demanded representation for refugees in the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly to ensure their voices are heard.

Rejecting the report submitted by the AJK Rehabilitation Department on the plight of the refugees, he revealed that the AJK government has built only three hundred houses in Thotha Satellite Town in twenty years, while basic facilities are missing in 18 refugee settlements across the state.

The refugees’ leader said that 3100 families living in rented houses are forced to live a life of commiseration.

He added that the Refugees Working Committee has presented a comprehensive charter of demands to the government of Pakistan, Azad Kashmir, and related institutions for the settlement and resolution of problems, but it could not be implemented.

Addressing the meeting, MNA Riaz Fatyana said that Kashmiri refugees are part of our body and soul, and their welfare should be the priority. He directed authorities to send a summary for increasing the subsistence allowance from Rs 1500 to Rs 2000.

Riaz Fatyana further said that the post-1989 refugees should be given two seats in the Azad Kashmir Assembly, and domiciles should be issued to them immediately. He directed the federal and state authorities to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for the resettlement of refugees.

MNA and committee member Kamil Ali Agha, while addressing the meeting, said that it is the first responsibility of the state to provide full recognition and rights to refugees.

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