PUK Parliamentary Faction Calls for Constitutional Resolution to Khanaqin Situation

PUKMEDIA

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The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) faction in the Iraqi Parliament has expressed concern over the situation in Khanaqin and Kurdish areas of Diyala, calling for the issues to be addressed in accordance with Iraq’s permanent Constitution and applicable laws.

Kurdish residents of Khanaqin had planned to stage demonstrations on Monday to call for their constitutional rights, including the right to education in the Kurdish language and other rights guaranteed under Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution. However, the demonstrations were prevented by local authorities following opposition from Arab tribes in the area.

The statement from the PUK Parliamentary Faction on the Situation in Khanaqin read:

"We are closely monitoring the situation in Khanaqin and the Kurdish areas of Diyala with the utmost concern. The situation must be addressed in accordance with the permanent Iraqi Constitution and applicable laws.

Civil and peaceful activity is a constitutionally guaranteed right, particularly when it concerns the implementation of the Constitution and Article 140.

We call for the situation to be addressed without the use of force or arbitrary arrests, while taking into account the sensitivity and particular circumstances of Khanaqin and the surrounding areas.

We demand the release of all detainees and the cancellation of all arrest warrants issued against politicians, activists and young people.

Demographic changes, as well as the districtisation of Jalawla and Qaratapa and the removal of Saadiyah and Qaratapa from district status, must be addressed in accordance with the Constitution and Article 140. All measures that contravene the Constitution must be halted.

Finally, our message to the proud people of Khanaqin and the Kurdish areas of Diyala is clear: we know that you are under great pressure and that your region is facing numerous challenges.

We call on you to defend your rights peacefully and in accordance with the Constitution and the law. We assure you that the PUK parliamentary faction will support you and stand as your constitutional and legal defender."

Khanaqin is a culturally diverse district in Diyala Governorate and is considered part of Iraq’s disputed territories, where questions over administrative control remain unresolved between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil.

Article 140 of Iraq’s 2005 Constitution provides a framework for addressing the status of the disputed territories through three stages: normalisation, a census and a referendum.

Under Article 140, the executive authority is required to take the necessary steps to complete the implementation of the requirements set out in Article 58 of the Transitional Administrative Law.

Article 58 requires the Iraqi authorities to address the legacy of demographic changes and administrative boundary alterations carried out under the former Baathist regime, particularly in Kirkuk and other areas that subsequently became known as the disputed territories. It also calls for the resolution of property disputes arising from those policies.

The disputed areas extend across several governorates, including Kirkuk, Nineveh, Diyala and Saladin.

Despite the constitutional provisions, the implementation of Article 140 remains incomplete, leaving unresolved questions over administrative control, demographic changes and property ownership in the affected areas.

Kurdish residents of the disputed territories, particularly in Kirkuk, have repeatedly raised concerns over land and property disputes, including claims that land previously belonging to Kurdish residents has been confiscated or transferred to Arab families resettled in the region under previous government policies.



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