NEW DELHI – The Indian government revoked the state of Indian-occupied Kashmir’s constitutional autonomy four years back and now country’s top court announced a verdict calling unilateral move legal.
The 5-judge constitution bench delivered its verdict on 2019 abrogation of Article 370, a decree that ended special rights to the Muslim-majority state, including the right to its constitution.
In its ruling, the bench remarked that Article 370 was a temporary provision that guaranteed special status to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The court, which apparently passed the ruling to please Modi-led natioanlist party, further directed that steps shall be taken by the Election Commission to conduct elections to Kashmir assembly by 30 September, 2024.
It said restoration of statehood shall take place at the earliest.
The court takes up petitions challenged rovocation of Article 370 of the Constitution and it held that the occupied Himlayam region became an integral part of India which is ‘evident from Article 1 and 370 of the constitution’.
Modi-led government repealed Article 370 of the Constitution of India, allowing anyone from India to buy land in the disputed Muslim-majority region and comes into effect immediately.
It said all clauses of Article 370 will not be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir, stirring uproar in the house; the minister introduced the resolution to ‘reorganise’ the status of the state.
According to the Constitution of India, Article 370 provides temporary provisions to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, granting it special autonomy, however, if the president greenlights Shah’s proposal, it would stand revoked.
It also lends other powers such as the need of concurrence of the state government if the central government plans to make amendments to the concurrent list of subjects.
The proposal came after the crucial Union Cabinet meeting at the official residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
In 2019, IIOJK was placed under lockdown and Hurriyat leaders were arrested as tensions intensify in the disputed region following a massive deployment of troops by the Indian government.
Indian government moved more than half million troops to the occupied region, followed by an unprecedented order.
Following BJP move, Pakistan ends its diplomatic relations with India. The country halted all diplomatic channels and vowed to expose brutal Indian racist regime, design and human rights violations.
The dispute over Kashmir divided region is the main obstacle for normalization of relations between India and Pakistan.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/06-Aug-2019/un-expresses-concern-over-indian-move-to-revoke-special-status-of-occupied-kashmir
