NEW DEHLI – In India, the BJP government has revoked Article 370 of the Constitution through a presidential order, ending the special status given to State of Occupied Kashmir.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind issued the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019 today, which has superseded the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 1954.
Under the order, the special status of Jammu and Kashmir has been abolished and it has been made a Union Territory under the Indian Federation.
Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution guarantee special status and special rights to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and all powers, except defence, foreign affairs, and communication, rest with the State Legislature.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah told the Upper House of the parliament Rajiya Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir is now a Union Territory with legislature, and it is no more a State. He also announced that Ladakh will also be union territory without legislature.
Amit Shah also announced that Jammu and Kashmir would be re-organized geographically.
Rajiya Sabha witnessed complete rumpus as Amit Shah made the announcement and the opposition benches strongly resisted the move.
Leader of the Opposition from Occupied Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad denounced the move and said that Jammu and Kashmir is already under a state of curfew and all political leaders have been put under house arrest.
Ghulam Nabi Azad said there is a war like situation in Occupied Kashmir.
The entire Kashmiri leadership has taken a serious view of the Indian government’s move and described it a usurpation of the rights of the people of Occupied Kashmir.
In a tweet, former State Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy.
She said the unilateral decision of the Indian government to scrap Article 370 is illegal and unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, leader of National Conference Omar Abdullah has strongly condemned the Indian Central Government over its move to scrap Article 370 that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir calling the move ‘deceit and stealth’ and warned that it will have ‘dangerous consequences’.
In a statement the former Chief Minister of Occupied Kashmir said the Indian government’s unilateral and shocking decisions are illegal and unconstitutional and will be challenged by the National Conference.
Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval paid a surprise visit to Occupied Jammu and Kashmir today.
According to CNN, Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has put the security forces on maximum alert throughout the country in the wake of abolition of special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Amidst growing panic over Indian government’s unilateral decision to abrogate Article 370, the authorities imposed undeclared curfew both in the Kashmir valley and Jammu placing bar on the movement of people, holding of any kind of public meetings and rallies.
All educational institutions were closed while Internet services snapped across occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Examinations to be held, today, were postponed.
Additional paramilitary forces were deployed across the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region. Indian troops were deployed in strength around vital installations such as civil secretariat, police headquarters, airport and other government establishments.
Barricades were erected on all entry and exit points in Srinagar and other cities. The entire resistance leadership including Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were placed under house arrest or detained in jails.
Meanwhile, more than 8,000 additional Indian paramilitary troops were airlifted from different parts of India to occupied Kashmir, today. These troops are in addition to the 38,000 troops brought into the territory over the past one week.
Various Kashmiri organizations held a protest demonstration outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, today, to condemn the abrogation of Article 370 and geographical division of occupied Kashmir.
Talking to Radio Pakistan on the occasion, Convener of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter, Ghulam Muhammad Safi said the United States should come forward and pressurize India to resolve Kashmir dispute.
Member Legislative Assembly AJK Naseema Wani said the situation in held Kashmir is deteriorating and becoming crucial as India has suppressed the freedom of expression there by blocking internet and jamming mobile networks.
On the other hand, the Kashmiri diaspora leadership of all political parties based in the United States has unanimously rejected the Indian move to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A.
The leadership of Kashmir Global Council and World Kashmir Awareness Forum including Farooq Siddiqi, Altaf Qadri, Raja Muzaffar, Dr Ghulam Nabi Mir, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Dr MA Dhar, Dr AR Mir vowed to stand committed to carry on the struggle till the final settlement of Kashmir dispute.
The Amnesty International in a statement said that the unilateral decision of the Indian government to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is likely to inflame the prevailing tensions, alienate the people in the territory and increase risk of further human rights violations.
COURTESY – rp
