Pakistani Minister: Congress-National Conference Alliance Aligned on Article 370 Restoration

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that there is a “high chance” the Congress-National Conference alliance will emerge victorious in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. His comments come as the region approaches its first elections since the revocation of its special status under Article 370 in 2019.

In an interview with Geo News, Asif claimed that both the Shehbaz Sharif government and the Congress-National Conference alliance are united in their stance on restoring Article 370 and 35A, framing it as a key election issue.

While the National Conference has openly committed to reinstating Article 370, the Congress party has remained largely silent on the matter, not including it in its manifesto, though it has promised to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

The revocation of Article 370 continues to resonate deeply with residents of the region, especially in the Valley, and has been a prominent topic in the manifestos of both the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP.

Asif’s remarks have provided fresh ammunition for the BJP, which criticized Congress for appearing to align with entities opposed to India’s interests. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya pointed out that the party seems to be consistently on the side of those who threaten India’s security. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Congress is willing to ally with Pakistan merely to oppose Prime Minister Modi.