Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 17: Demanding permanent resident status to West Pakistan refugees in Jammu and Kashmir, Panthers Trade Union held a strong demonstration, here today.
The demonstration was led by PTU president, S Paramjit Singh Marshal and addressed by Sewa Singh Bali, its general secretary, Balbir Singh Bandral, vice president, Padam Dev Singh, State secretary and others.
Several Trade Unions affiliated to PTU also participated in the demonstration.
The protesting PTU activists also submitted a memorandum, addressed to Governor N N Vohra highlighting the plights and status of West Pak refugees, who are without civil or fundamental rights though they have been permanently residing in Jammu Pradesh since 1947.
The PTU in its memorandum said that these Pak refugees had settled in J&K on the intervention of the then administrator of J&K, Sheikh Mohd Abdullah, appointed so by the then Monarch, Maharaja Hari Singh.
The memorandum said that Sheikh Abdullah allotted these refugees land in 1947 which they have been sharing according to the law of the land and the day J&K Constitution came into existence in 1957 these Pak refugees had completed 10 years of holding immovable property acquired lawfully in the State.
The PTU also appealed to the Kashmiri leaders to address the problem with a human heart and mind as these refugees, their children and grandchildren born in J&K have been living lawfully according to the law and they have to be accorded State permanent resident status.
The memorandum submitted by PTU to the Governor also demanded his intervention to regularize services of all SPOs, VDC volunteers, contractual employees and daily wagers who have completed three years in service.
The PTU also demanded full compensation to the flood victims and border migrants.
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