Maldives backs India’s ‘right to amend laws as required’
India revoked the special status of Muslim-majority Kashmir.
07 Aug 2019, 9:00 AM
Maya Mauroof
India’s decision to revoke the special status of the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir was “an internal matter,” the Maldives foreign ministry said in a brief statement on Wednesday.
“We believe that it is the right of every sovereign nation to amend their laws as required,” it added, echoing similar statements from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and UAE.
The statement has been widely reported by Indian media as a show of support for the move to repeal article 370 of the Indian constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir with autonomy over internal administration.
Along with article 35a, the provision allowed Kashmir’s residents to live under a separate set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of property and fundamental rights. It was able to prevent Indians from other states from buying property.
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