ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday censured India for illegally confiscating private properties in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan was concerned about India’s illegal actions to confiscate the properties of Kashmiri activists and human rights defenders in IIOJK.
“We are concerned about the recurring acts of confiscation of properties by India in IIOJK. India’s National Investigation Agency and the State Investigation Agency (SIA) have moved aggressively to seize immovable properties of several Kashmiri activists. It is concerning that just SIA has attached 124 such properties since its establishment in 2021,” she said.
The spokesperson added: “We condemn India’s recent move to confiscate the property of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Spokesperson and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader, Ayaz Akbar, in Srinagar.” Akbar remains behind the bars since 2017 on fictitious charges.
The spokesperson said India must end dispossessing the political leaders and human rights defenders of their rightful properties.
“Kashmiris are the rightful heirs to their own land. It is unfortunate that non-Kashmiris are being encouraged to buy land and property in the disputed territory while the properties of Kashmiris are being confiscated and destroyed,” she said. The FO spokesperson said the 12th round of Pak-Iran bilateral political consultations would be held in Tehran on June 17-18. She said the two sides would also hold discussions on regional situation particularly Afghanistan, Kashmir, resumption of Iran-Saudi Arabia diplomatic ties and regional peace and stability. She said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, has just concluded an official visit to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Belgium.
During her visit, she met high-level officials including: Foreign Minister, AnnikenHuitfeldt and State Secretary, Erling Rimestad of Norway; Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell; Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy of Denmark, Dan Jørgensen; State Secretary to Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Johanna Sumuvuori; and Belgian Secretary of State for Migration and Asylum Nicole de Moor, she elaborated. To a question, she said Pakistan and the European Union have a robust dialogue of cooperation, it is multifaceted and it includes climate change, food security, green technology and sustainable development, and it also includes labor mobility. To another question she said Pakistan is a country of laws and Constitution. “We remain committed to our constitutional obligations, to protect the rights and property of our citizens, who enjoy constitutional guarantees and fundamental freedoms, which are underwritten by our judiciary. We are also a country of laws and the rule of law must be upheld. Any actions of the Government of Pakistan with regards to the events of May 9 will be in accordance with our laws and constitution,” she added. The spokesperson said Pakistanis in Afghanistan have always remained a high priority for the Government of Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistani Mission in Kabul.To a query, she said: “According to our accounts nothing is outstanding against NAB as far as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned.