RAAG Hosts Seminar on POJK: Legal & Parliamentary Perspectives

 Seminar on "POJK: Parliament's Resolution & Legal     Discourse" Organized by RAAG

 Jammu, 04/March/2025: The Research and Advocacy Group (RAAG), a voluntary organization comprising of legal professionals, academicians, media persons and scholars today organized an insightful seminar on "POJK: Parliament's Resolution & Legal Discourse" at the Lawyers' Chamber, J&K High Court Complex, Jammu.
The seminar featured eminent speakers, including Dr.(Captain) Alok Bansal, Executive Director of India Foundation, Sunil Sethi, Senior Advocate, and Upinder Krishen Jalali               (U.K. Jalali), Senior Advocate and former Advocate General, J&K Government, who provided expert insights into the legal and parliamentary dimensions of the Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK) issue.
 
The program commenced with the introduction of eminent guests and welcome address by Advocate Deepak Sharma, Convener of RAAG organization.
 
The discussion focused on the constitutional and legal aspects of India's lawful claim over Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in line with Parliament’s resolution on the subject. The speakers emphasized historical perspectives, strategic implications, and legal frameworks surrounding the issue.
 
The speakers highlighted legal provisions, strategic concerns, and historical aspects, comprising in depth analysis on the subject.
U.K. Jalali, Senior Advocate and former Advocate General of J&K, raised concerns over the Shimla Agreement, stating that Indian leadership returned a strategic area to Pakistan. He remarked that it is unfortunate and against international law that Pakistan and its military establishment continue to use POJK as a terror-launching pad against India. He also recalled the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the creation of Bangladesh, emphasizing that if Indian leadership had exercised better political wisdom, the areas of POJK could have been bartered in the Shimla Agreement. The former AG also exposed Pakistan’s actions, stating that it was Pakistanis (now Bangladeshis) who became victims of the reign of terror imposed by the Pakistani Army and corrupt political leaders.

While deliberating on the Parliamentary resolution on POJK, Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi stated that it is not merely a Parliamentary document but a strong assertion of India's resolve to reclaim all territories illegally occupied by Pakistan. 
This includes Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), regions of Jammu and Kashmir under Chinese control, and the area illegally ceded by Pakistan to China.He aslo said that the creation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir was not because of any rebellion from within the territory of India or from the people of PoJK at that time but it was because of external agression from Pakistan. 
 
In his address to the gathering, Captain Alok Bansal compared the democratic principles and freedom of speech available in Jammu and Kashmir to the dictatorial approach of Pakistan towards the residents of POJK. He stated that Pakistan treats the residents of POJK as second-class citizens and does not allow them to utilize their own resources. He further emphasized that the valuable assets and natural resources of POJK are being exploited by the Pakistani government and military establishment. He also provided insights into the demography, terrain, and administrative setup of POJK.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from legal professionals, scholars, media representatives, and civil society members. The interactive session allowed participants to engage in thought-provoking discussions with the experts.
The program was coordinated by Advocate Prem Sadotra and formal vote of thanks was delivered by Advocate Arvind Khajuria who expressed gratitude to the speakers and all participants and reaffirmed RAAG's commitment to legal research and advocacy on national issues.   
The seminar concluded with a Question & Answer session followed by high tea.                                      
The prominent lawyers who attended the event include Jammu Bar Association team including Baldev Singh Vice President, Pardeep Majotra Secretary, Anshu Mahajan Joint Secretary, Rahul Aggarwal Treasurer and Amandeep Sharma, President Young Lawyers Association and his team. Other prominent advocates who were present include Raghu Mehta Sr. Advocate, Advocate Dewakar Sharma, Advocate Hunar Gupta, Advocate Vishal Sharma DSGI, Senior Advocate Vikram Sharma, Advocate Ranjeet Singh Jamwal, Advocate Sudarshan Sharma , Advocate Subodh Jamwal, Advocate Vandana Sharma, Advocate  Ayush Sharma, Advocate Harshwardhan,  Advocate Ashwani Khajuria, Advocate Rakesh Sharma, , Advocate MP Singh Palli, Advocate Rajnish Raina, Advocate Deepali Arora, Advocate Sarfaraz Rather, Advocate Rajesh Thappa, Advocate Pawan Kundal,  Advocate , Advocate Madhvi Sambyal, Advocate Karan Prashar, Advocate Pawan Choudhry, Advocate Sanjeev Kohli, Advocate Saket Rathore, Advocate Aditya Raina, Advocate Chetan Prabhakar, Advocate Gaurav Jamwal Advocate Divyashan and others.
 

.