The District Bar Association Kotli passed a resolution supporting the Kashmir Development Foundation campaign demanding the inclusion of Bashida-e-Riyasat Jammu & Kashmir in the Census2023 online form. District Bar Association Kotli has demanded amendment in form of up coming Census under Bureau of Statistics government of Pakistan to give full representation to the citizens of AJ&K settled in Pakistan in census form. A special meeting of the District Bar Association Kotli was held yesterday in district bar room under the chairmanship of Raja Masood Khan President of the BAR. In the meeting, a resolution was passed in which the Government of Pakistan and the Joint Commissioner of Census of Pakistan were demanded to include options for certain answers related to domicile and language of citizens of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan settled in Pakistan for business and other purposes. Please continue to sign KDF online petition The District Bar Association #Kotli passed a resolution supporting the Kashmir Development Foundation campaign. Raja Masood Khan,the President of the Bar after the meeting said ,”The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics is planning to hold the first-ever digital Census in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan in March 2023. People of AJK are very concerned that if the Census 2023 goes ahead as planned, it will make the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir living in Pakistan, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan invisible in the Census data. It estimate that over 40% of the AJK population generally lives for over six months to work, study or conduct business in Pakistan. The 2023 Census will erase them from the total count of the AJK population data. There will be no population data about the refugees of Jammu and Kashmir living in Pakistan. It would be challenging to accurately measure the size and demographic makeup of the population of J&K origin and heritage living in Pakistan and of the people of AJK and Gilgit Baltistan. Consequently, right to self-determination and participation of Kashmiris in the plebiscite to determine the future of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be compromised. Moreover the ability of the people and the Government of AJK will be seriously affected to have equitable access to financial resources from Govt. of Pakistan. It will also affect utilising AJK resources to effectively plan infrastructure development in every aspect of socioeconomic development, health, education, population welfare and economic regeneration in AJK.So we demand the inclusion of Bashida-e-Riyasat Jammu & Kashmir in the Census2023 online form.”