The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) has questioned whether the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes can produce a complete assessment of Jammu and Kashmir's demographic situation without accounting for people who left their ancestral homes because of prolonged conflict and shelling along the Line of Control.

AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said families from LoC areas had crossed over during periods of extreme insecurity and questioned what steps had subsequently been taken to facilitate their return.

"The Committee must answer a simple question: what about the families who crossed the LoC because they were running for their lives?" he said.

He specifically referred to communities from Jumgund, Machil, Keran, Karnah, Gurez, Uri, Poonch and Mendhar, arguing that their displacement should form part of any serious assessment of demographic change.

"If demographic correction is the objective, then restoring the population driven out by conflict must be part of that agenda," Inam said.

The AIP also questioned the Committee's reported interaction with Rohingyas, arguing that before examining questions of population inflow, it should hear people whose lives and communities have been directly affected by conflict in J&K.

PoK returnees and documentation issues

Inam separately raised the situation of families who returned from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan under the government's Return and Rehabilitation Policy. He questioned why some returning families continued to face difficulties obtaining civil documentation, including certificates and passports.

"If the State invited them to return, it has an equal responsibility to ensure their complete rehabilitation and reintegration," he said.

Call to include Kashmiri Pandits

The party also called for Kashmiri Pandits living in Kashmir and migrant Pandit families to be heard by the Committee, saying their displacement is an essential part of the region's demographic history.

The broader argument advanced by the AIP is that demographic change cannot be examined only by counting those who arrive or settle in a region. It must also examine communities that left, the circumstances that forced their departure, what happened to their homes and land, and whether conditions and government mechanisms exist for their return.

"Demography is not merely about who enters. It is equally about who leaves, why they leave and whether the State has the will and mechanism to bring them back," Inam said.

He urged the Committee to move beyond an office-based assessment and undertake field visits to affected LoC areas and displaced communities before drawing conclusions.

"Go to the people who have actually lost their homes, villages and livelihoods. Their story is the missing chapter in any honest assessment of demographic change in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Wednesday said 900 doctors have been appointed through the Public Service Commission, while the recruitment process for another 400 doctors is underway.

Talking to reporters, Itoo said the government had also referred around 700 to 800 paramedical posts for recruitment as part of efforts to augment the healthcare workforce across Jammu and Kashmir.

She said the government was simultaneously expanding specialised healthcare infrastructure, with CT scan, MRI, Cath Lab and dialysis facilities being taken up at different healthcare institutions across the Union Territory.

The Minister said the expansion of manpower and medical facilities was aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery and improving the availability of specialised services for patients within J&K.

The government's recruitment push covers both doctors and paramedical personnel, while the infrastructure expansion includes diagnostic facilities as well as specialised treatment services.

SRINAGAR — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was unlikely to expand or reshuffle his Council of Ministers in the near future, while launching an attack on the National Conference leadership and its style of functioning.

BJP spokesperson Dr Abhijeet Jasrotia linked the alleged delay in cabinet expansion to what he described as Omar Abdullah's preference for a close inner circle. He cited the recent "snubbing" of an NC MLA in the Legislative Assembly as an indication that the Chief Minister intended to continue relying on a limited group of associates.

Jasrotia also referred to the recent selection of candidates for the Rajya Sabha, alleging that the exercise had reinforced a pattern in which individuals enjoying personal proximity to Omar Abdullah were being rewarded with positions and influence.

"This is a common practice in dynastically run parties," he said, comparing the National Conference with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and alleging that those close to Akhilesh Yadav form his inner "kitchen cabinet."

Remarks on NC legislators

Turning specifically to NC legislators aspiring for ministerial positions, Jasrotia said they were "day-dreaming" and alleged that their chances would remain limited unless they resorted to what he described as "flattery" and personal service to the party leadership.

He termed the National Conference leadership "dictatorial" and alleged that ministerial aspirations among its MLAs would remain a fantasy under the present political arrangement.

The remarks came a day after Omar Abdullah, responding to questions from reporters about a possible cabinet expansion, said it would happen "someday" but did not indicate any immediate timeline.