Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) activist Senge H Sering | Photo Credit: ANI

Key Highlights Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) activist Senge H Sering has said that India should provide representation for PoK in Parliament The newly created Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has 24 seats reserved for the PoK.

Srinagar: The historic decision of Narendra Modi-led NDA government to revoke Article 370 providing special status to Jammu and Kashmir has garnered support from across the Line of Control (LoC) as well. Lauding the decision, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) activist Senge H Sering has said that India should provide representation for Gilgit-Baltistan region in Parliament to strengthen its claim on its territory.

Interestingly, the previous state of Jammu and Kashmir and the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir both have provisions for the representation of the people of the Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) region with 24 seats reserved for the region. However, Sering has demanded that India should include the region in its constitutional framework by providing representation in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as well.

Earlier in the day, the debate in Lok Sabha over Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill was interspersed with claims and counter-claims on PoK. During the debate, Home Minister Amit Shah categorically stated that PoK and Aksai Chin are part of Jammu and Kashmir while asserting that "we are ready to give our lives for it."

#WATCH Senge H. Sering, Gilgit-Baltistan activist: Home Minister Amit Shah has said that PoJK is an integral part of J&K. We believe Gilgit-Baltistan is an integral part of J&K. We are extension of Ladakh & we ask for our rights in constitutional framework of India pic.twitter.com/jIWwRdNB0q — ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2019

"Kashmir is an integral part of India, there is no doubt about it. When I say Jammu and Kashmir, I include Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin, both are included in the territorial boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir," the Home Minister said. "Ladakh, including Aksai Chin, will be a Union Territory. Both Hill Councils will continue to be active," he added.

Interestingly, Congress party leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also made remarks regarding PoK that left the grand old party red-faced in the Lower House. He said that BJP was not thinking about PoK and was putting the situation of the region in jeopardy. "I don't think you are thinking about PoK, you violated all rules and converted a state into a union territory overnight," Chowdhury said.

He further made remarks that suggested that Jammu and Kashmir is not an internal matter but a bilateral matter under UN monitoring, drawing condemnation from the entire House.