New domicile act implemented in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan seethes

New Delhi: The Union government has taken one more major decision regarding Jammu and Kashmir, nine months after abrogating Article 370, which awarded special status to the state. The Union government implemented the new domicile act in Jammu and Kashmir through a notification on Tuesday. The law specifies the new criteria for getting a domicile certificate in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This has infuriated Pakistan.

The union government has initiated implementation of the new domicile act in Jammu and Kashmir. As per the new law, anyone living in Jammu and Kashmir for a job or any other purpose will be issued a domicile certificate. The application for the domicile certificate can be submitted in the Tehsildar office. Also, all those who have passed their 10th or 12th standard examinations from the state and those who have studied in Jammu and Kashmir for more than seven years will be issued domicile certificate. Children of the women from the state, married outside, will be eligible to get the certification. The government has added clause 3 in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2020, for these domicile provisions. It has also ordered to issue the domicile certificates within 15 days from submission of completed applications.

The union government abrogated Article 370 in August last year. This is the first major decision taken by the government after that. This will enable the Kashmiri Pundits to regain their rights. Thousands of refugees who have come to Kashmir from Pakistan will get their residence rights. These refugees, although residing in Kashmir for many years, were not given any rights in the state. But with the implementation of the new law, justice will be meted to all those who have suffered so far.

But this decision has not gone down well with Pakistan and the separatists. Pakistan and the separatists are accusing that India is trying to change the demography of the region. Pakistan is also making a fuss that the new domicile law is illegal, and it violates the agreement signed between the two countries.

India has hardly paid any attention to the Pakistani accusations. Ever since the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan is trying to globalise the issue, without much success.