MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has approved a new procedure to conduct scrutiny of State Subject (citizenship) certificates issued to the Pakistan-based Kashmiris who have migrated there from any part of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistan-based refugees from the disputed Himalayan region are categorised as refugees from Kashmir division (Valley) and refugees from Jammu division. Of the 12 seats of Pakistan-based refugees, six are reserved for those who belong to Valley and six to those hailing from Jammu.

Until 1993, the deputy commissioners (DCs) of AJK districts issued State Subject certificates to the refugees. In 1993, the office of the deputy commissioner Rehabilitation was created in Mirpur to issue these certificates, apart from the DCs of AJK districts.

Under the new procedure, the DCs of all 10 districts as well as the DC Rehabilitation would carry out the scrutiny process simultaneously.

All certificates issued so far by them would be scrutinised and verified in the light of the record submitted by the applicants for the purpose, and there would not be any discrimination between the refugees from Valley and Jammu in the process of investigations, according to a handout by the AJK Board of Revenue (BoR).

The certificates would be scrutinised by the officials of the district concerned under the supervision of a three-member committee, comprising the DC, assistant commissioner headquarters and extra-assistant commissioner.

The committees would submit their reports regarding the accuracy and authenticity of the certificates to the BoR within one month.

However, the DC Rehabilitation was given two months for submission of his report. The time could be extended by the BoR to three months, if needed.

A 4-member committee was set up to supervise the process of the authenticity of documents and witnesses.

Under the new procedure, the DCs of AJK districts would be no more empowered to issue further State Subject certificates to the Pakistan-based refugees. However, they would issue citizenship documents to those refugees from across the LoC who have chosen AJK for their permanent settlement.

Published in Dawn February 7th, 2017