In a bold move by the Modi government, all the doctors who have obtained medical degrees from Pakistan occupied Kashmir have been banned from India. On a notice that was released in this accord, the Medical Council of India announced that any qualification regarding medical degrees that were obtained in Pakistan occupied Kashmir will not be considered legal in India and forbade the doctors against practicing in India. The notice read as follows:
“This is to inform all concerned that entire territories of UT of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India. Pakistan is in the illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the territory. Accordingly, any medical institution in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) require permission/recognition under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956” as reported by DNA.
The notice further adds that no permission has been granted to any medical college in PoJK, therefore, any qualification obtained from medical colleges located within these illegally occupied areas of India shall not entitle a person for grant of registration under Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 to practice modern medicine in India.”
This comes in the light of a recent expose that revealed that several hundred Kashmiri doctors who have obtained their medical degrees in Pakistan had links with Pakistani establishment. What is pertinent to note is that 6% of medical seats in Pakistan have been reserved for students from Kashmir. This is not just Pakistan occupied Kashmir, but Kashmir as a whole.
A security threat averted
This move by the Centre has more to it than what meets the eye. Intelligence unearthed a burgeoning scam that involves separatist parties, and the ISI/Pakistan government.
The quota given by Pakistan has been utilised to the fullest by Kashmiri separatists and they have been making a huge business out of this by recommending students to these reserved seats.
Pakistani government has classified its students into two categories:
- Students supplying under foreign students seats through the Education Ministry of Pakistan
- Students applying under the scholarship program
The latter category has 100% scholarship and free accommodation. This is the program that most Indian students from Kashmir are sent through to Pakistan. Preference is given for students whose parents or close relatives have died or “suffered at the hands of Indian forces”.
The benchmark for these students to get selected is how active they have been against India by participating in protests against India and attacking Indian Armed Forces.
Around 1600 scholarships were announced for Kashmiri students by the Pakistani government just for the year 2020. This was disclosed in a meeting of Pakistan National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Federal Education and Professional Training. Every year 50 students are sent to Pakistan under this programme for MBBS course alone.
Once these students are admitted they are put in touch with ISI and other Pakistani officials. These students are isolated from the other students in Pakistan and are hailed as jihad warriors.
What’s more is that the students who have been sent to Pakistan for studying medicine have been used as moles by the Pakistani government to extract information about India and its whereabouts.
It is surprising how a country that goes with begging bowls to China and other credit agencies has money to fund these scholarships.
A full-fledged scam
Hurriyat, ISI and the Pakistani government have been termed as the three apexes working together to brainwash Indian Kashmiri students who will be loyal towards Pakistan and its ideals.
This scam has been happening in broad day light for decades. However, it was only for the past two years that the NIA started cracking the whip on Kashmiri separatists by scrutinizing and blocking their funding sources.
These admissions were previously red-flagged by the NIA, and have found it to be an alternative mechanism for funding terror groups. A recent investigation by the NIA revealed that there were hundreds of recommendation letters that had been written by Kashmiri separatist leaders to the Pakistani VISA office, for students from Jammu and Kashmir. It was found that these leaders demanded money for issuing recommendation letters. This was even exposed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani who recently resigned from All Party Hurriyat Conference as its life time chairman. He had accused the Pakistani chapter of financial irregularities over the ‘sale of medical seats’ in Pakistan. Syed Ali Shah reportedly stopped issuing these recommendation letters two years ago after allegations of corruption surfaced. Notably, Syed Ali Shah Geelani was recently conferred with Pakistan’s highest civilian honour.
The Pakistani Government’s scholarship programme to Kashmiri students has been utilized by separatist elements to make some quick money by asking for monetary benefits for flouting the rules mandated by the scholarship. It is obvious that this money goes into funding activities against India by fomenting protests. Not just that, the security threat arising out of Pakistan educated professionals entering India has also been averted.
However, this massive development has however been left ignored by most top media houses.