Srinagar, Jan 10: The Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani Thursday said it will oppose the government’s move to settle the West Pakistan refugees in Jammu and Kashmir as the step is aimed to assault the special status of the State.
In a statement issued here, a Hurriyat (G) spokesman said, “After observing the statements by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla and Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma, we apprehend that the State Constitution may be amended to issue permanent resident certificates (PRCs) to West Pakistan refugees.”
“We have also come to know that the government is planning to bring a Bill in the Assembly in this regard. We oppose any such move as the step will be direct attack on the special status of J&K,” the spokesman said. He said if government passes the Bill, Hurriyat (G) would announce a strong agitation. The decision in this regard was taken in the Hurriyat (G) Executive Council meeting held at party headquarters Rajbagh here. The meeting was chaired by senior Hurriyat (G) leader Altaf Ahmed Shah.
He said New Delhi through its “stooges” in Jammu and Kashmir was finding ways and means to “damage the State Constitution.” “Such efforts are on since 1947 and now issuing permanent resident certificates to West Pakistan refugees is another such move,” the spokesman said. He said New Delhi was deliberately taking “these steps to justify its control in J&K.” “The West Pakistan refugees were never residents of J&K and there is no legal or constitutional obligation to provide them with PRCs,” he said.
The Hurriyat spokesman said the statements issued by NC MP Mehboob Beg and Law Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar that West Pakistan refugees were not residents of J&K were “full of suspicion.” “We fear that Home Ministry of India may have assigned the job of issuing PRCs to Pakistani refugees to Revenue Minister Raman Bhala with a direction to take other ministers on board,” the spokesman said. “The move is aimed to damage the disputed nature of Kashmir.”
He said the Hurriyat (G) believes that policy makers in New Delhi want to make “J&K state as a pro-India bastion so that if plebiscite is held, majority turns out to be pro-India.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
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