MIRPUR (Kashmir English): A disturbing incident has come to light in Mirpur as another British-Kashmiri woman has become the latest victim of the notorious squatter mafia.
The woman, who owns a house in the area, was allegedly harassed and intimidated by the mafia, who attempted to occupy her property.
While addressing the media at Kashmir Press Club, Mirpur, the woman alleged that instead of helping her, the higher authorities have been facilitating the mafia.
The woman said that a person named Aamir Iqbal rented her house while pretending to be poor, but after two months, he started showing his actions. “Along with manipulating the rent, he also vandalized my house and threatened me with the mafia. I contacted Thothal police station, but they did not help me,” she told reporters.
She added that the municipality and Mirpur Development Authority (MDA) supported the fraud and made illegal connections, gave property papers, and made Sui gas connections on the name of tenant.
She said that the electricity department changed the meter without her permission, while the revenue department colluded with the accused to obtain a copy of the house documents by paying a bribe.
Despite numerous requests to the administration and police, the accused, intoxicated by power and using their influence, continued to threaten the woman and her family and even demanded that they vacate the house at gunpoint.
She added, “The people sitting in the Municipality and the Mirpur Development Authority supported the fraud and have been aiding the mafias as they illegally gave property papers to my tenant.”
Leaders of Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) including Naghman Arif, Hamza Younis, and Nazia Shah Advocate.
This incident has sparked widespread outrage, with the Awami Action Committee Mirpur, the Mirpur Protection Forum, and the People’s Supreme Council demanding immediate action from the government.
The press conference put forward two key demands: the “establishment of an overseas accommodation desk” in Mirpur, which would include representatives from various institutions, and the “establishment of a separate police station for women in Mirpur”.
The establishment of a separate police station for women in Mirpur would be a significant step toward empowering women and providing them with a safe and secure environment, the attendees said.
