India changes controversial land laws in disputed Kashmir

REUTERS Oct 28-  
India has amended a law in Jammu and Kashmir allowing Indian citizens to buy land in the disputed territory, said officials, sparking opposition criticism about a steady erosion of the rights of Kashmiri people.   

 A notification issued on Tuesday stated that the term “being permanent resident of the state” as a criteria has been “omitted”, paving the way for even non-Kashmiri Indians to purchase land in the Himalayan region.   

 Until last year, the region enjoyed a special status, guaranteed by the Indian constitution, which allowed it to make its own rules about permanent residency and property ownership.   

 Kashmir is claimed in full by India and Pakistan and both rule parts of it. The region continues to be at the heart of two of the three wars fought by India and Pakistan since independence in 1947.   

 India’s portion has been plagued by separatist violence since the late 1980s.