SRINAGAR: In a recent turn of events, Mehbooba Mufti, the President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Indian illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), has expressed her party’s continued concerns about the situation in the region.
The backdrop to her statements lies in the ongoing hearings at the Indian Supreme Court regarding the abrogation of Article 370.
Mehbooba Mufti highlighted that the arguments presented by India’s Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, during these hearings have reinforced her party’s long-standing position that the situation in the territory is far from normal. Mehta’s representation before the five-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, conveyed that the Union Territory status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir might not be a permanent arrangement. He suggested that the region could regain its statehood once normalcy is restored.
The central point of contention in these hearings has been the decision by the Narendra Modi-led government to revoke the special status accorded to IIOJK through Article 370. The government’s stance has been challenged by a batch of petitions, raising questions about the legality and constitutionality of the changes introduced in 2019.
