In an unprecedented move, the Centre on Monday scrapped Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which gives autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan Prime Minister (Photo: IANS)
A day after scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan skipped the joint session to hold a discussion on Kashmir on Tuesday leading to a ruckus in Parliament as opposition objected to his absence.
The session proceedings were stopped even before it started as the Speaker left for his chamber.
In an unprecedented move, the Centre on Monday scrapped Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which gives autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah proposed in the Rajya Sabha to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir amid uproar by opposition members.
President Ram Nath Kovind signed the notification to abrogate the Article.
Following the developments, the Pakistan government condemned the abrogation of Article 370 saying that it will “exercise all possible options to counter it”.
The Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement said that it “strongly condemns and rejects” the announcement by India to repeal Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Reaffirming its “abiding commitment” to the Kashmir cause, Pakistan said, as the party to this international dispute, it will exercise all possible options to counter the “illegal steps”.
The statement came soon after the Centre proposed to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution and split the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and Ladakh without one.
Condemning India’s move on Kashmir, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted: “Atrocities in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) unabated. Extremist Indian govt’s intentions clear. President must immediately summon Joint session of Parliament in wake of Indian aggression in IoK.”
Meanwhile, the United States also said that it was “closely” observing the events in Jammu and Kashmir and urged all stakeholders to maintain peace and stability along the Line of Control (LoC).
Prime Minister Imran Khan had on Sunday said that Islamabad will respond to any “misadventure or aggression” by Indian forces against it.
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