Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that India’s decision to abolish the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir by revoking Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution has once again revived the Kashmir problem between the neighbouring countries.
Responding to the historic decision, Qureshi said, “The move to abolish Article 35A has left India’s so-called democratic face open to the world. The Kashmiri leadership does not agree with India’s decision. India has resurrected the Kashmir problem with its decision.”
The parliamentary session of India’s Upper House (Rajya Sabha) was thrown into disarray when the Government of India announced its decision to formally repeal sections of the Indian Constitution that confers the state of Jammu and Kashmir with special privileges on the morning of August 5.
Announcing the decision, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah also introduced a bill that effectively bifurcates the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories with separate legislative assemblies.
Lashing out at the Centre’s decision, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “By revoking Article 370 that accords special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP government has murdered the Constitution of India.”
Responding to Azad’s remarks, Amit Shah said, “Opposition leaders are saying that Article 370 brought Jammu and Kashmir to India. But the fact is that the Maharaja Hari Singh signed on October 27, 1947 (the Instrument of Accession) while Article 370 came into existence in 1949. So this is wrong to say that Article 370 brought Jammu and Kashmir with India.”
