Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 24: Demanding their permanent settlement, PoK refugees held a massive protest demonstration near Press Club, here today.
Carrying placards and banners in support of their demands, the protesters raised slogans against the Government and threatened to launch a nationwide stir for seeking amendment in the Article 370.
The protest was organized under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir POJK Refugee Front-1947, 1965, 1971, which announced to organize similar protest dharnas at all block, tehsil and district level of Jammu on January 26 against the alleged Government apathy towards them.
A large number of refugees, including women, took part in the protest demonstration, led by Rachhpal Singh Chib.
The protest dharna was addressed by several leaders who accused the State Government of not acting on the advice of the Departmental Parliamentary Standing Committee, constituted to implement the Prime Minister’s package for all displaced persons of Jammu and Kashmir.
Rachhpal Singh Chib, in his address, alleged that the immunity provided by the Article 370 has made the J&K Government a monarchical State, which does not bother to implement even verdict of the Supreme Court and National Human Rights Commission. The families uprooted from Pak occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir due to Indo-Pak wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971, have been deprived of their right of final settlement despite directions of the Central Government and SC as well as NHRC verdicts, he lamented.
Others who addressed the protest dharna, included Sham Singh, Krishna Chib, S Mohinder Singh, Vaj Ram, Charan Dass, Capt Ishar Singh and Ch Jit Lal.
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