Kashmir News LATEST Updates: Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that they will send the Indian ambassdor back to India and call back their envoy to Pakistan.

At the meeting of National Security Committee, Pakistan resolved to take India’s move to revoke Article 370 to the United Nations, including the Security Council.

Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday chaired a meeting of National Security Committee at Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad. The committee decided on the downgrading of diplomatic relations with India, suspension of bilateral trade with New Delhi and a review of bilateral arrangements between the neighbouring countries.

The National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Jammu and Kashmir police officials and security personnel in the presence of DGP Dilbag Singh in Shopian on Wednesday. Doval also interacted with locals in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The Jammu and Kashmir governor was informed by the state police that the overall situation in the state remained satisfactory in all manners. People were seen in markets buying their daily provisions, emergency services in hospitals are functioning, electricity and water supply running satisfactorily.

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal posted an update on the prevailing situation in the Valley on Facebook on Wednesday, saying that Kashmir is currently witnessing “an unprecedented lockdown”. However, according to him, no incidents of violence or deaths have been reported and it is “extremely heartening to see Kashmiris calm in face of such adversity”.

Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Javed told NDTV that the former chief minister is in solitary confinement and “not allowed to talk” to anyone. The J&K leader and PDP chief who was earlier put under house arrest was later shifted to government guest house in Srinagar.

Amid a communication shutdown and other restrictions, security agencies have arrested over 100 people, including political leaders and activists, as they were considered a threat to peace and tranquillity in the Kashmir valley, officials said on Wednesday.

According to reports, the Lieutenant Governors for the newly bifurcated Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh may be appointed on Wednesday.

The resolution to scrap Article 370 and the bifurcation bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Prime minister Narendra Modi said the passage of the legislation was a fitting tribute to the great Sardar Patel, Babasaheb Ambedkar, and SP Mookerjee. In a series of tweets, he said, “For years, vested interest groups who believed in emotional blackmail never cared for people’s empowerment. Jammu and Kashmir is now free from their shackles. A new dawn, better tomorrow awaits!”

The resolution for abrogation of special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 was passed in Lok Sabha — with 351 members in support and 72 against it. One member abstained from voting. The Lok Sabha cleared Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 — with 370 Ayes, and 70 Noes — in the second round of re-voting.

Home Minister Amit Shah said in Lok Sabha that he wanted to withdraw The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill 2019 because the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India would make the legislation irrelevant. Since Rajya Sabha had approved the bill on Monday, the stage is now set for Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir to become Union Territories.

Home Minister Amit Shah assured that the Narendra Modi government has no intention to remove Article 371, which gives certain special rights to some states in North East. On the bifurcation decision, Shah said, “”When normalcy returns to Jammu and Kashmir, the government will have no hesitation in taking a decision (with restoring its full statehood).” Taking a dig at the Opposition Congress, he said, “We will not take 70 years to take that decision, that I can assure.”

At the Joint Session of Pakistan’s Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “We will take the case of Kashmir to the United Nations and apprise the international community of the treatment of minorities in India under the racist ideology of the BJP.”

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said in Lok Sabha, “Your (BJP) MPs are saying that this is Diwali, then let all Kashmiris come out and let them also celebrate. Why are they under curfew? Eid is on Monday. Are you assuming that Kashmiris instead of sacrificing lamb should sacrifice themselves? If you want that, I’m sure they’ll do that, they’ve been doing that. I demand that government take away curfew, and ensure that communication lines are started; release all those who have been arrested (detained in view of the developments).”

Speaking in Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “The decision has already done serious damage to our international standing. The way the Amarnath pilgrims were evacuated using the false pretense of terrorism, utter secrecy about the deployment of troops have exposed contempt of liberty of people. The decision has changed the constitutional relationship of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to the Republic of India.”

 Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal says that Ladakh has been fighting for a Union Territory status for a long time. He said that the state had overwhelmingly unique character with a separate identity but the Kashmiri-dominated government never paid heed to their demands.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted for the second time on Tuesday regarding the tensions around the situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir at the moment. He referred to the jailing of the state’s political leaders like Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and called the move “undemocractic and unconstitutional”.

Hasnain Masoodi, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference MP from Anantnag levelled several charges against the BJP-led Centre over the bill to abrogate the Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which provides special status for the state.

He started his debate by saying that the government had “lost the trust of the people of Kashmir”. He added, “You are being the judge for the people yourself, you are not consulting legal experts like you’re supposed to. The law has been written has a purpose, how can you misuse it as and when you want to? You are not authorised to modify Article 370.

“Which step are you taking for the benefit of the people? The whole population of Kashmir is on curfew, Kargil is observing a bandh in protest against this. How can the government arrest local leaders? This is an assault on the constitution. You have no idea to what extent this decision will impact the country,” he said.

Home Minister Amit Shah responded to the NCP’s Supriya Sule when she said that NC patriarch Farooq Abdullah sat next to her in the Lok Sabha usually, and that on Tuesday he wasn’t present.

Shah said that Farooq was at home “of his own free will”, according to The Hindu. However, Sule added that she had attempted to contact Farooq and his son Omar, but they were unreachable.

 Jitendra Singh said that he is glad to see members are worried about the arrest of a senior member from Kashmir even it is not has been confirmed by anyone. “But I would like to ask them where was this sensitivity when Mookerjee was incarcerated for 44 days and when he passed away mysteriously in custody.”

Rahul Gandhi was rather late in the day on reacting to the topical issue that has dominated the news cycle since yesterday. The former Congress president has slammed the BJP for unilaterally forcing its decision on the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Manish Tewari termed the way in which the Modi government steamrolled the decision and sprang a surprise on the people of Kashmir a “Constitutional Tragedy.” The next speaker, BJP’s Jugal Kishore argued that the so called special status has not done anything for the state of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the special status only kept Jammu and Kashmir behind the rest of India in development and made the state lose out on businesses, investment and employment opportunities.

Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. The boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir, as mentioned in our Constitution, includes Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin. This Bill and Resolution will ensure that Jammu and Kashmir will remain with India forever.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has arrived in Srinagar to handle situation on ground amid tension in Kashmir over Centre’s decision to abolish Article 370. News18 reported that Doval is scheduled to hold discussions with all the stakeholders, including the bureaucracy and the security forces on the creation of structures for the administrative set up in the two new Union territories.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is following with concern the tense situation in the India-Pakistan region and urges all parties to exercise restraint, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said here on Monday. “We are following with concern the tense situation in the region… We urge all parties to exercise restraint,” Dujarric said at the daily press briefing, adding that the UN is also aware of reports of restrictions in Kashmir in India.

In another setback for the Congress, its Rajya Sabha MP and chief whip Bhubaneshwar Kalita resigned from the membership of the House on Monday opposing the party’s stand on the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaih Naidu announced in the House that he has accepted Kalita’s resignation.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday moved a resolution in the Lok Sabha for bringing a bill to reorganise the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh amid a walkout by opposition parties.

Moving the resolution following the President’s order abrogating Article 370, Shah sought the permission of the House to bring the bill. He assured the opposition members that he would move the bill and the resolution for consideration of the House on Tuesday and was only seeking the permission of the House for the same now.

A protest in Delhi after the Centre scrapped Article 370. Reuters

“I will move the bill for consideration and passage tomorrow. The opposition can have detailed discussion on the same. I am ready to give the reply,” he told the House, amid protests by opposition members and thumping of desks by treasury benches. Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Home Minister Amit Shah came in the House, “broke the country and ran away”.

“The government has made the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir a prison house,”Chowdhury alleged. “This is not a bill,” he added. Asaduddin Owaisi(AIMIM) said members have right to speak on the resolution but the Chair was not allowing it. “What is the use of the rule book when you are favouring the ruling party,” Owaisi asked. T R Baalu (DMK) said the Speaker should not be party to flounder the rule.

Baalu, however, later said he regretted his remarks. Saugata Roy(TMC) said it has not been the practice in Lok Sabha to put resolution ahead of the bill. “We wanted division but the Speaker did not allow us. What has been done is wrong,” Roy pointed out. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh countered the opposition and said the Home Minister had brought the bill in the house according to the rules.

Hasnain Masoodi(NC) alleged that more than 2 crore people of Jammu and Kashmir are living in fear. Some members of Congress were also seen tearing the papers and throwing these towards the Chair. Members from opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress and DMK, walked out of proceedings as their demand to speak on the resolution was denied.

“That the President of India has referred the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 to this House under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India for its views as this House is vested with the powers of the State Legislature of Jammu and Kashmir, as per proclamation of the President of India dated 19th December, 2018. This House resolves to express the view to accept the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019,” read the resolution.

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