ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has strongly protested against the recent introduction by the Government of India of a Bill in the Indian Parliament seeking to extend the application of a large number of Labour Laws to the Occupied state of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a Note handed over by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad on Sept 3, the Government of Pakistan urged upon the Government of India to desist from proceeding with this illegal measure, to repeal similar measures taken in the past to honour its international commitments for the determination of the future status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Note said: “On August 20, 1969, the Minister of Law, Government of India, introduced in the Lok Sabha a Bill entitled the Central Labour Laws (Extension to Jammu and Kashmir) Bill, 1969, seeking to extend the application of large number of Labour enactments of Government of India to the Occupied state of Jammu .and Kashmir. In the statement of objects and reasons for the Introduction of this Bill it was stated that ‘in order to secure uniform application of the various Labour laws to the whole of India it has been decided, with the concurrence of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, to extend certain Labour laws to that state’.” — Agency

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2019