Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Nov 6: The Deputy Commissioner, Poonch Rahul Yadav has debarred a woman from Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) from contesting Panchayat elections in Sawjian village of Mandi tehsil in Poonch district.
She had come from Pakistan along with her husband, Rafiq Bhat, resident of Sawjian (Mandi) via Nepal few years ago. They had also brought their four children born on that side.
Official sources said that Rafiq along with his wife Nausheen, a resident of (PoK), had crossed over to this side illegally. The woman do not have a PRC. This matter is yet to be investigated how she managed to get Aadhar, Election Cards and the Ration Card. The woman who landed here hardly few years ago, managed the required documents and now jumped into the fray to contest Sarpanch’s election from reserved Panch-ayat Halqa near the LoC in Mandi. She filled the form from Ward No. 8, Sawjian Panchayat.
Dy Commi-ssioner, Poonch Rahul Yadav when contacted said that the matter came to his notice on Monday and he sought report from the concerned Returning Officer and later after preliminary inquiry directed to cancel her nomination paper. He said the candidate failed to produce PRC. Yadav said that he has asked District Police to hold probe how she managed to obtain Aadhar Card, Voter Identity Card and the Ration Card.
Her husband, Rafiq Bhat when contacted claimed that he is resident of Poonch and is true Indian. He further said that her wife’s fore fathers also belonged to this area. They settled on that side of LoC few decades back. He said if Govt of India considers that PoK is part of J&K then why her wife is being considered as Pakistani. He pointed out that if Sonia Gandhi being from Italy can be citizen of India then the same law also applies for his wife. He warned to challenge the decision in the court of law. Nausheen claimed that she is Indian, his father and grandfathers were Indians and she would fight for her rights up to Delhi.
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