India's Supreme Court requests timeline for reinstating Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.

 

India's Supreme Court requests timeline for reinstating Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.

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India's Supreme Court, amidst hearing petitions challenging the revocation of special status in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) in 2019, has requested the government to clarify if there's a specific timeframe for restoring IIOJK's status as a full-fledged state.

During the proceedings, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud acknowledged the sensitivity of the matter in relation to national security. He emphasized the paramount importance of national preservation. He directed the solicitor general and attorney general to seek instructions at the highest level to determine whether a timeframe for reinstatement exists.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta referred to a 2019 statement by the Indian government in parliament, stating that the status of the "Union territory (of Jammu and Kashmir) is not a permanent feature."

Following a lunch break, Mehta informed the bench that he would provide a positive statement on this matter on the following day.

In 2019, India revoked the special status of IIOJK, including its flag and legislature. The repeal also encompassed Article 35A, which granted the region the authority to define its residents and prohibited non-residents from purchasing properties or seeking government employment.

This move led to the division of the Himalayan state into two centrally administered union territories, named Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority area, is the subject of competing claims by both India and Pakistan. Islamabad contends that India's actions in 2019 were unlawful, and since then, tensions between the two nations have escalated.