Mirpur: A five-lakh strong diaspora from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has made an imprint on the political, economic and social life in this city.

Economic migration from the present day PoK has a historic origin since the 1920s when the locals here travelled to Mumbai to work as seamen. They then travelled to Britain with industrialisation requiring cheap labour. The second wave of migration took place during the construction of the Mangla dam, a mega hydel project of the Pakistan Government in the belt in 1960s. The construction of the dam on the Jhelum further triggered a mass migration as agro based activity collapsed in this belt. In fact, the entire Mirpur city and neighbouring hamlets were submerged after the construction of the reservoir.

During the rule of Pakistan President Ayub Khan in the 1960s, 400 work permits were given by the British Government for the displaced population of Mirpur. . The migration from Mirpur district led to a similar exodus from the Gujjar-populated belts of Kotli and even a few pockets of Rawalkot. Much of the migration has been to British cities. While the Mirpur Diaspora is concentrated in Birmingham, the Kotli Diaspora lives in Luton.

"The Diaspora has generated one of the highest per capita income in South Asia. The real estate value is also the highest in the belt, which easily equals with the flourishing cities. For instance, average expenditure on a house easily crosses Rs.10 million (Pakistan currency) in southern PoK," says Raiz Inqualibi, a political activist.

The role of the PoK Diaspora is also becoming institutionalised to some extent on the political front.

There is a seat in the PoK Assembly reserved for an overseas resident. Even in the Kashmir council, a high-power policy making body, there is one seat for a person belonging to the Diaspora. Prior to the elections in the PoK Assembly, candidates vie with one another for getting funding from the Diaspora. A part of the Diaspora is now directly involved in the electoral sphere.

The traditional power alliances face challenges from various groups, who till now had little say in the power alliances.

The Rajput-Soodhans caste groups, which have wielded influence in the PoK political set-up since 1947-48 mainly due to their overwhelming presence in the Pakistan Army, are facing a challenge from the Gujjar-Jat caste combination in southern PoK.

This has an economic dimension as the two caste groups are mostly present in pockets of Kotli and Mirpur districts.

More than five lakh people from this belt are now working in Gulf and European markets.

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