RAAG Urges Summoning Pakistan Official Over PoJK Crisis
Research and Advocacy Group (RAAG) demands India lodge a diplomatic protest over the humanitarian crisis in PoJK and questions J&K Assembly's silence.
The Jammu-based Research and Advocacy Group (RAAG) has issued a sharp call to the Government of India, demanding that the Chargé d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi be summoned immediately. The group is seeking a formal diplomatic protest regarding the escalating humanitarian crisis in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), where reports of killings, arrests, and severe restrictions are mounting.
In a comprehensive memorandum addressed to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, RAAG has requested both an oral and written démarche to Pakistan. They further advocated for a Note Verbale to officially record India’s profound concern and to reiterate its sovereign and territorial claim over the region.
A Cry for Help from Across the LoC
The memorandum, submitted by authorized signatory Advocate Madhavi Sambyal, highlights the desperate appeals coming from the people of PoJK. RAAG argues that these individuals are not merely residents of a foreign territory but are the people of Jammu & Kashmir, currently separated by the Line of Control and living under illegal occupation.
"The people of PoJK are not merely inhabitants of a territory. They are our own people — people of Jammu & Kashmir... Their suffering and their appeals therefore cannot be treated as somebody else’s problem,"the group stated, emphasizing that India must provide assurance that these citizens have not been forgotten or forsaken.
Questioning the J&K Assembly's Silence
One of the most striking aspects of the memorandum is the criticism directed at the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. RAAG has raised serious questions regarding the Assembly's perceived silence on the plight of those in PoJK, especially when compared to its engagement with international affairs.
The group pointed out several inconsistencies in the legislative discourse:
- The Assembly has frequently discussed international conflicts involving Palestine, Gaza, Iran, Israel, and the United States.
- Despite the statutory framework of the Union Territory, the ongoing repression and humanitarian hardships in PoJK have not received similar institutional attention.
- RAAG questioned why the voices of people living just across the Line of Control are not being heard within the halls of the J&K Assembly.
Legal and Constitutional Mandates
RAAG anchored its demands in significant legal precedents and existing laws. The organization reminded the government of the unanimous Parliamentary Resolution of 22 February 1994, which called upon Pakistan to vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.
Furthermore, the group cited Section 14(4) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This specific provision mandates that 24 seats in the J&K Legislative Assembly shall remain vacant until the occupied areas are liberated and the residents can elect their representatives. RAAG noted that this provision serves as a legislative recognition not just of the land, but specifically of the people residing in those areas.