IIOJK becomes voiceless in Indian parliament
Retirement of four members leaves occupied region without any representation in the upper house
NEW DELHI:
For the third time in history, the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) will go without any political representation in Rajya Sabha — the upper house of the Indian parliament.
Four members of the parliament from the occupied region, including leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, are retiring by the end of this week, leaving their seats vacant.
On Aug 5, 2019, when Narendra Modi government revoked the autonomy and divided the state into two federally-controlled territories — a move widely condemned by Kashmiris and Pakistan alike —Lok Sabha’s seats were redistributed, with five going to Jammu and Kashmir and one to the Ladakh region.