Jammu and Kashmir: AIP Questions Demographic Panel’s Scope, Demands Focus on LoC Displaced

SRINAGAR: The Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) has raised concerns regarding the scope and priorities of the High-Level Committee tasked with assessing demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir. The party is advocating for a more comprehensive review that encompasses the displacement of indigenous families and entire communities from their ancestral homes along the Line of Control (LoC), in addition to any purported demographic inflows.

Information was available with The Chenab Times that AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi stated the committee’s assessment should critically examine the outflow of local populations caused by prolonged periods of violence, intermittent shelling, and general insecurity, particularly in regions bordering the LoC. He emphasized that any evaluation of demographic shifts must account for those who were compelled to cross the LoC not for militant activities, but for the safety of their families.

“The Committee must answer a simple question: what about the families who crossed the LoC because they were running for their lives?” Inam Un Nabi questioned in a statement. He highlighted that such families sought refuge to protect their children and elders from a conflict that had rendered their homes uninhabitable. The spokesperson further queried the government’s current initiatives to facilitate the return of these displaced families.

The AIP spokesperson specifically pointed to areas such as Jumgund, Machil, Keran, Karnah, Gurez, Uri, Poonch, and Mendhar, where generations have historically resided under the constant threat posed by proximity to the LoC. “If demographic correction is the objective, then restoring the population driven out by conflict must be part of that agenda. You cannot discuss demographic change while ignoring the empty homes, abandoned land and families that were forced to establish their lives elsewhere,” he asserted.

Furthermore, the party took issue with the committee’s reported interactions with Rohingya individuals. The AIP argued that the committee’s primary responsibility should be to engage with the people of Jammu and Kashmir who have directly experienced the ramifications of prolonged conflict. The party also raised questions about the persistent challenges faced by families who have returned from Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan under the government’s Return and Rehabilitation Policy.

Inam Un Nabi pressed for clarity on the support provided by the government to those who returned through its established rehabilitation mechanisms. He questioned why families reintegrating through an approved process are still encountering difficulties in obtaining essential civil documentation, including certificates and passports. “If the State invited them to return, it has an equal responsibility to ensure their complete rehabilitation and reintegration,” he added.

The AIP spokesperson also called for the inclusion of Kashmiri Pandits residing in Kashmir, as well as migrant Kashmiri Pandit families, in the committee’s consultations. He underscored that their migration is an intrinsic component of Jammu and Kashmir’s demographic history. “Demography is not merely about who enters. It is equally about who leaves, why they leave and whether the State has the will and mechanism to bring them back,” he stated.

The party urged the committee to conduct on-ground assessments in the LoC areas and among displaced communities before formulating any conclusions. “Do not prepare a demographic report by ignoring this important part. Go to the people who have actually lost their homes, villages and livelihoods. Their story is the missing chapter in any honest assessment of demographic change in Jammu & Kashmir,” Inam Un Nabi concluded.

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