Delimitation sparks concerns over representation for PoK refugees

Amid the recent developments allowing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) refugees living in other parts of the country access to Jammu and Kashmir domicile, an unresolved issue has emerged, casting a shadow over the delimitation of assembly seats in the region.

The PoK refugees residing in Jammu express their discontent with the delimitation process, citing the omission of areas under Pakistani occupation from the equation.

Rajiv Chunni, a prominent PoK refugee leader, highlights a historical incongruity in the allocation of assembly seats. Harkening back to the 1950s, the establishment of 100 seats saw 75 designated for Jammu and Kashmir, while 25 were allotted to PoK. Strikingly, despite an increase in the number of seats for Jammu and Kashmir over time, the number of seats granted to PoK has remained static.