Pakistan slams India for seizing properties of Kashmiri activists in IIOJK

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned India for confiscating the properties of Kashmiri activists and human rights defenders in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“We are concerned about the recurring acts of confiscation of properties by India in IIOJK,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said at a weekly press briefing here.

India’s National Investigation Agency and the State Investigation Agency (SIA) had moved “aggressively” to seize immovable properties of several Kashmiri activists, she said.

“It is concerning that just SIA has attached 124 such properties since its establishment in 2021,” she said.

She further said: “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.”

The FO 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.

During the ongoing visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Azerbaijan, the FO spokesperson said the two sides would exchange views on diverse areas of bilateral cooperation including in energy, culture, banking, education, defence, information technology, science and technology, and trade and investment.

The FO spokesperson said the 12th round of Pakistan -Iran Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) would be held in Tehran on June 17-18 June.

The Foreign Secretary will lead the Pakistani delegation while Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs of Iran, Ali Bagheri Kani will lead the Iranian side, she said.

Baloch said regarding the progress on implementation of decisions of last session, the BPC would review all aspects of Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations covering political, economic, trade, investment, border security, education, climate change and culture domains.

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.

The spokesperson said the second round of Pakistan-Belgium Bilateral Political Consultations is being held in Islamabad today. Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Ambassador Muhammad Saleem will lead the Pakistan side while the Belgium delegation will be led by Ambassador Cooreman, Director General, Bilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgium.

“The two sides will review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Belgium relations and set the agenda for bilateral engagement and cooperation for the next year,” she said.