Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Congress-National Conference Alliance Agree on Article 370
The BJP has criticized the Congress-National Conference alliance after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that Pakistan and the alliance share the same stance on restoring Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP leader Amit Malviya commented on X, calling Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ and questioning the Congress’s alignment with Pakistan’s interests. Asif made these remarks during an interview on Geo News with journalist Hamid Mir.
Asif suggested that Article 370 could return if the National Conference-Congress alliance gains power in Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasized the importance of this issue to the valley’s population and expressed confidence in the alliance’s potential electoral success.
NC Patron Farooq Abdullah reiterated his party’s commitment to restoring the special status if voted to power, calling Article 370 the ‘heartbeat of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.’ Former CM Omar Abdullah also expressed hope for the return of Article 370, citing past Supreme Court verdicts in its favor.
The assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in three phases. The first phase of voting took place on September 18, with the second and third phases scheduled for September 25 and October 1, respectively. The counting of votes will occur on October 8.
Doubts Revealed
Pakistan’s Defence Minister -: A Defence Minister is a person in charge of a country’s military. Khawaja Asif is the Defence Minister of Pakistan, a country next to India.
Congress-National Conference Alliance -: This is a group formed by two political parties in India, Congress and National Conference, to work together in elections and other political matters.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a special law that gave Jammu and Kashmir, a region in India, some special rights and autonomy. It was removed in 2019.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, a major political party in India. They are currently in power in the central government.
Geo News -: Geo News is a popular news channel in Pakistan, similar to how we have news channels like NDTV or Aaj Tak in India.
NC leaders Farooq and Omar Abdullah -: Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah are important leaders of the National Conference party in Jammu and Kashmir. They are father and son.
Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls -: These are elections held to choose leaders for the state government of Jammu and Kashmir. People vote to elect their representatives.