On Monday, the Indian Supreme Court issued a ruling asserting that Article 370, which conferred special status upon the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), was a temporary provision, affirming the occupied territory’s integral status within the nation.
The Narendra Modi government, in violation of United Nations resolutions and international law, nullified Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution on August 5, 2019, revoking the special autonomous status granted to IIOJK and imposing a military siege.
This unilateral action resulted in the division of the state, home to over 12 million people, into two federally administered territories. Following this move, a series of petitions contested the abrogation of Article 370, leading to a 16-day hearing by a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud.
The verdict, reserved on September 5, emphasized that the occupied territory had become an integral part of India, citing Article 1 and 370 of the constitution. The court stated that despite joining the Union (India), Occupied Kashmir had not achieved internal sovereignty.
Furthermore, the Indian Supreme Court directed the country’s election commission to organize elections in IIOJK by September 2024.
