Law allows non-Kashmiri Indians to purchase land in disputed region

India has amended a law in Jammu and Kashmir allowing Indian citizens to buy land in the disputed territory, Reuters quoted officials as saying.

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.

The latest amendments to land rules are part of the government’s policy to apply all Indian laws that were not applicable for about seven decades, local and federal government officials said.

“Amendment to land laws is crucial part of structural changes being made in Jammu and Kashmir. The region should be governed like any other part of the country,” said a senior Home Ministry official in the Reuters report.