Global Re-alignment: The Great Realignment: How India’s Article 370 Abrogation ‘Mainstreamed’ Kashmir and Sparked Backlash in PoK, Pakistani Analyst

Years after New Delhi’s historic decision to revoke Article 370, the geopolitical ripples continue to reshape regional dynamics. According to prominent Pakistani security analyst and Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) Executive Director Imtiaz Gul, India’s bold constitutional move fundamentally “mainstreamed” Jammu and Kashmir, producing unforeseen domestic fallout that has directly fueled anti-establishment and anti-Pakistan protests across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). For decades, the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir kept the region insulated in a perpetual state of political limbo. However, Gul highlights that the August 2019 abrogation effectively dismantled that framework, integrating the region directly into India’s legal, political, and economic mainstream. By removing these administrative barriers, New Delhi shifted the local paradigm toward governance, development, and civic participation—a reality underscored by high voter turnouts and democratic engagement within the valley. This integration, according to Gul’s observations, has drastically altered perceptions across the Line of Control (LoC). While official rhetoric in Islamabad continues to contest the change, populations living in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir have grown increasingly vocal about their own socioeconomic grievances and systemic neglect. The contrast between the evolving political integration on the Indian side and the chronic economic hardships, high utility tariffs, and lack of basic rights in PoK has catalyzed widespread protests, sit-ins, and public defiance directed against authorities.

Key Takeaways

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