AJK PM grants land ownership to 1,000 families displaced by LoC shelling

The announcement came at a ceremony held to formalise the transfer of land rights to the internally displaced persons (IDPs). Most families had migrated from the adjoining Bhimber and Kotli districts after 1998 due to cross-LoC shelling and had been living on unoccupied government land in the Janyal area since 2006. Beneficiaries settled on government land near Mirpur in 2006 after fleeing 1998 cross-border shelling Addressing the gathering, the prime minister paid tribute to the affected families for enduring hardships and abandoning their homes in the face of what he des­cribed as “unprovoked and indiscriminate” shelling along the LoC. “From today, you are the rightful owners of the land where you have been living for years,” Rathore said, congratulating the beneficiaries. The prime minister also announced the establishment of a dispensary in the area. Mr Rathore noted that a similar initiative was undertaken during the previous PPP government led by former prime minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, when ownership rights were granted to refugees settled in Khaliqabad and adjoining areas. He said the notification issued for Janyal was in line with that earlier precedent. The prime minister expressed confidence that his party, the PPP, would succeed in the 2026 elections. “Today we have come to give you your rights; next time we will come to seek your vote,” he added, maintaining that intention held fundamental importance in politics and that God rewarded sincere intent.