Shops shuttered, streets deserted as occupied Kashmir loses special status and is divided

[Cypher]

SRINAGAR: In an event of far-reaching consequences, the state of Jammu and Kashmir ceased to exist at midnight Wednesday and was converted into two union territories, 86 days after Parliament abrogated its special status under Article 370.

The UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will be headed by lieutenant governors G C Murmu and R K Mathur, respectively. They will take oath on Thursday.

This is for the first time that a state is being converted into two UTs. The total number of states in the country will now be 28, while the total UTs will go up to nine.

The swearing-in ceremony will be first held in Leh where Mathur would be administered oath of office followed by that of Murmu in Srinagar.

With this, the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and the Ranbir Penal Code will cease to exist from Thursday, when the nation celebrates 'National Unity Day' to mark the birth anniversary of the country's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel , who is credited for the merger of over 560 states into the Union of India.

Both Murmu and Mathur will be sworn-in by Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Gita Mittal.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, states that the appointed day for the two UTs is October 31 and these will come into existence in the midnight (Wednesday-Thursday).

The announcement of abrogation of the state's special status and its bifurcation was made in Rajya Sabha on August 5.

The UT of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature like Puducherry while Ladakh will be a UT without legislature like Chandigarh and both the UTs will be headed by two separate lieutenant governors (LG), as per the Act.

The Centre will be in direct control of the police and the law and order in Jammu and Kashmir from Thursday when it becomes a UT, while the land will be under the elected government there.

The UT of Ladakh will be under the direct control of the central government which will administer the high-altitude region through the LG.

Senior IAS officer Umang Narula was appointed advisor to Ladakh's Lt Governor and S S Khandare police head of the UT.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-come-into-existence/articleshow/71824905.cms

 

[Abdullah719]

Shops shuttered, streets deserted as occupied Kashmir loses special status and is divided

Spoiler

Shops and offices were shut in Indian occupied Kashmir on Thursday and the streets largely deserted as federal authorities formally revoked the restive area’s constitutional autonomy and split it into two federal territories.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision in August to change occupied Kashmir’s status and tighten its grip over the region has stoked anger and resentment among Kashmiris.

Just after midnight on Wednesday, the federal government’s orders went into effect, dividing up occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories; one Jammu and Kashmir, and the other the Buddhist-dominated high altitude region of Ladakh.

Both will be directly ruled by Delhi, and new lieutenant governors were due to be sworn in at a high-security governor’s premises later on Thursday.

But the most contentious change for many people is the threat of land grabs by Indians outside the region with the formal abrogation of a clause in the Indian Constitution that safeguarded Kashmiris’ exclusive right to land ownership.

“Everything changes on Thursday,” said a retired Kashmiri judge, Hasnain Masoodi, a member of India’s Parliament. “The entire exercise is unconstitutional. The mode and methodology have been undemocratic. People were humiliated and never consulted.”

Masoodi represents the National Conference, a powerful pro-India Kashmiri political group whose leaders have been detained.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1514013/s...d-kashmir-loses-special-status-and-is-divided

 

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan rejects India's 'illegal' bifurcation of occupied Kashmir

Spoiler

Pakistan on Thursday rejected the "void" and "illegal" bifurcation of India-occupied Kashmir into two union territories, saying that "no step by the government of India" can change the internationally recognised fact that it is a disputed territory.

The Indian government had on August 5 repealed Article 370 of its constitution, stripping occupied Kashmir of its special status. The orders went into effect today, dividing up occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories; one Jammu and Kashmir, and the other the Buddhist-dominated high altitude region of Ladakh.

In a statement released by the Foreign Office, Pakistan termed the move a "complete violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions and bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan, especially the Simla Agreement".

The statement underlined that India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory. "No step by the government of India can change this. These changes are illegal and void as per the relevant UNSC Resolutions, and do not prejudice the right to self-determination of the people of occupied Jammu & Kashmir."

Pakistan particularly highlighted that the August 5 measures announced by India "were forced upon" the people of India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir "through the barrel of a gun". The FO statement said that the region has been turned into a prison with the deployment of over 900,000 Indian security forces.

The statement further observed that many people including political leaders, civil society members, women and children "remain under illegal detention".

"An iron curtain remains in place on more than 8 million Kashmiri people snapping their communications with the outside world," said the statement.

"Curfew remains imposed and movement of people restricted. Many people, especially women and children, are being continuously abused and tortured by Indian occupation forces," it added.

Pakistan rejected the narrative that the changes are India's "internal matter" and termed them as "illegal and unilateral" as the dispute "remains on the agenda of the Security Council".

The FO, in its statement said that the purpose of these changes "is neither development of the region nor welfare of the Kashmiri people".

"The real motive is to alter the demographic structure of the Muslim majority state in pursuance of the extremist 'Hindutva' ideology."

Pakistan called upon the international community to "take notice that the transfer of civilian population from outside into India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is in grave violation of the international laws particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention".

The statement laid emphasis on the fact that this forceful occupation by India will never be accepted by the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India's unilateral actions "would only further aggravate the human rights situation in the region and threaten to destabilise the peace, security and stability of the South Asian region as well as the world".

Pakistan called on India to "stop brutalising the innocent Kashmiris under its illegal occupation for the last seven decades".

"India should immediately withdraw its military forces from the region, remove draconian laws, restore basic human rights of the people, free all detainees, lift all restrictions on the free movement and communications, allow unimpeded and full access to the UN and other international human rights observers, including independent foreign media," urged the Foreign Office.

"It is imperative that India implements the UN Security Council Resolutions on the right of Kashmiris to self-determination, without further prevarication."

The statement also asserted Pakistan's resolve to continue to "extend its full moral, political and diplomatic support to the suffering Kashmiri brothers and sisters" until their right to self-dermination in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions is realised.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1514036/pakistan-rejects-indias-illegal-bifurcation-of-occupied-kashmir