Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, human rights advocate and leader of United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), has called attention to land grabbing by Pakistan Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and urged environmentalists to consider the negative effects it has had on the environment.
The activist expressed worry about the deforestation in PoK and attached a statement made by Muzaffarabad Division Commissioner’s office.
According to the statement, in the village of Heerkotli (Sirikot Tili) tehsil and district of Muzaffarabad, 61 Kanal 02 Marla 05 Sarsai Forest Property and 24 Kanal 11 Marla private land were needed for defence purposes.
It further added that “For the next land acquisition process, the 5-AK Brigade has been given the pertinent land records pertaining to the private land. The Forest Department must provide a No Objection Certificate as part of the process of allocating forest property for defence purposes.”
The statement went on to say that the suggested site could be surveyed and a No Objection Certificate may be produced for the land’s allocation for defence purposes.
Human rights situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is fast deteriorating, and a number of Kashmiri activists have pounded on the door of the international community to demand action.
However, they haven’t had much success because all that the international organisations have so far produced is only denunciation and no concrete action.
Gilgit-Baltistan residents protested the Pakistan Army’s forced land acquisition in the village of Nopura earlier this year.
