STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Fighting for their right of permanent settlement even after seven decades, the West Pakistan Refugees have no caretaker in Jammu and Kashmir, neither within the government nor outside in the opposition.
On one hand where the mainstream opposition National Conference out rightly rejected domicile certificate to the refugees, simultaneously, Congress party, which was in alliance with the National Conference previously, is also going to oppose their permanent settlement in the State.
Though Congress kept the WPRs issue alive over the period whether being in the government or acted as opposition by demanding only financial package and their rehabilitation but not citizenship right to them for which they were fighting against all odds since decades.
“The Congress high command has directed the State leadership not to be positive towards the settlement of West Pakistani Refugees but instead demand rehabilitation and financial package for them,” reliable sources here said.
Sources further said that the Legislature Party meeting chaired by the JKPCC Chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir this afternoon also held threadbare discussions on refugees issue taking all ifs and buts into consideration.
Sources however, said, “Congress will never give its thumbs up for one time settlement for refugees at this juncture when BJP is ruling in the Centre and the State of Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with PDP.”
“Gripped under an impression that citizenship rights to the West Pakistani Refugees presently will give a push to the vote bank in one go in favour of the BJP dispensation,” sources added.
They further said that to prevent strengthening of BJP vote bank in a case if domicile certificate is issued to the refugees’, Congress will adopt all measures by hook or by crook, raise objections in issuance of the document to them.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, National Conference to appease Kashmir and counter PDP’s alliance with the saffron brigade has raised the bogey of WPRs and opposed their permanent solution. “Apart from appeasing Kashmir sentiments, NC is also opposing their settlement as out of healthy figure of over 3 lakh refugees, majority of them are Dalits and OBCs,” sources added.
