MATTER OF CONCERN

Jam mu and kashmir situated in the far north-west of the India. It is located mostly in the Himalayan mountains and shares borders with the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south.

It is a condemnable decision to scrap J&K’S special status by Indian PM Narendra Modi from the constitution (“India scraps special status for Kashmir,” Aug 6, Gulf Today). BJP is creating another Palestine with the decision of scrapping Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir. Nobody will support Modi govt for its presidential decree to scrap the disputed region’s special status in the constitution, and also moved a bill proposing the territory be divided into two regions directly ruled by New Delhi.

A part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, the region is the subject of a territorial conflict among India, Pakistan and China.

The Indian government on Monday revoked Kashmir’s special status, stripping the significant autonomy it has enjoyed for seven decades in a move expected to further inflame tensions in the Muslim-majority region and infuriate neighbour Pakistan. Pakistan on Monday condemned India’s move to abolish Kashmir’s special status as “illegal”, insisting it was an internationally recognised disputed territory. “No unilateral step by the Government of India can change this disputed status... As the party to this international dispute, Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.