Indian SC asks Modi govt to restore normalcy in Kashmir

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of India on Monday asked the Modi government and the occupied Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) administration to restore normalcy on a selective basis in the disputed territory as soon as possible, keeping in mind national interest and security, Indian media reported.

The restoration of normalcy in the J&K should be done to ensure people have access to all welfare facilities such as health care, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi said he would himself visit Srinagar if the situation in Kashmir was as dire as people were suggesting. In another petition, filed by the former chief minister of occupied Kashmir and senior Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Indian top court, allowed him to visit four districts of J&K with riders.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called the Indian Supreme Court’s remarks victory of Pakistan’s narrative about the worsening situation in Indian occupied Kashmir. The remarks of the apex court would also boost the confidence in Kashmiris, he added.