Historic Win: West Pakistan Displaced Persons Granted Proprietary Rights in J&K

West Pakistan Displaced Persons celebrated the Jammu and Kashmir administration's approval to grant them proprietary rights on state land, ending a decades-long demand. This decision empowers refugee families, bringing them at par with other displaced persons and significantly changes their status in assembly and local body elections.

West Pakistan Displaced Persons celebrated a significant milestone on Wednesday as the Jammu and Kashmir administration, led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, approved the grant of proprietary rights on state land. This decision, sanctioned at a Tuesday meeting of the administrative council chaired by Sinha, fulfills a long-standing demand by the refugee families in the region.

An official spokesman mentioned the empowerment of thousands of refugee families and highlighted that the move puts them at par with displaced persons from Pakistan-Occupied J&K. He confirmed the decision would finally fulfill the decades-long request for ownership rights.

The announcement was met with joy and approval from the community, as noted by Pakistan Refugees Action Committee president Laba Ram Gandhi. Gandhi thanked the Lieutenant Governor and discussed the historical context of the decision, emphasizing the newfound political rights for the displaced persons, including participation in local body and assembly elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)