Pakistan refugees to vote for first time in JK local polls

The refugees from Pakistan are happy as they will vote for the first time for the District Development Council and Panchayat elections for vacant seats in Samba in Jammu and Kashmir.

Samba: The refugees from West Pakistan danced to the tunes of drums and celebrated on Thursday as they will be voting for the first time for the District Development Council and Panchayat elections for vacant seats in Samba.

The seats were announced on Wednesday.

"We cannot be happier. We will be casting our vote for the first time for the District Development Council and Panchayat elections. Our five candidates will be contesting for the first time," said Labha Ram Gandhi, President West Pakistani Refugee Action Committee.

"Our people did not have the voting rights earlier but now that we have been given these rights, I would like to thank Prime Minister and Union Home Minister for this," he added.

The refugees expressed joy saying, they will be voting for the electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time as before the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A they did not have the right to vote. They could only vote in the Parliamentary elections.

Speaking to media, Sukhdev Singh, State ice-President, West Pakistani Refugee Action Committee, said, "We used to protest for our voting rights but now because of our Prime Minister, we have been given our political rights. Nobody used to listen to us earlier."

(ANI)