West Pak refugees not permanent residents: J-K govt

West Pakistani Refugees, settled in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, are not the permanent residents of state, the assembly was told today.
"So far as West Pakistani Refugees are concerned they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of the constitution of state", Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Basharat Bukhari said in a written reply to a question of an Independent member Engineer Abdul Rashid in Legislative Assembly today.
Replying to another question whether government proposes to provide permanent citizenship rights to these refugees, Bukhari said, "presently no such proposal is under consideration of the state government".
Giving further details, he said, 9823 West Pakistani refugees are living in Jammu region.

The state government intends to provide the number of facilities for the betterment of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) refugees and displaced persons except for West Pakistani refugees and accordingly submitted a comprehensive package to the Centre for one time full and final settlement, the minister added.