Kupwara: A Pakistani woman, who is married to a former Kashmiri militant, is among the 11 candidates contesting the District Development Council (DDC) elections from Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Somaya Sadaf is the first woman from the other side of the Line of Control who is fighting the election in this northern region of the Union Territory.
She is contesting from Dragmulla constituency which is reserved for women. She is in the fray against 11 other women candidates.
Hailing from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Somaya got married to Abdul Majeed Bhat of Kupwara in 2002.
Bhat had gone to Pakistan in 1990 and the couple has 4 kids.
Somaya came to Kashmir via Nepal in 2010 under the government's rehabilitation policy for militants.
Despite missing her family after coming here, Somaya said that she stayed back and helped her husband set up the poultry farm business. She herself runs a dairy farm to earn a livelihood and sustain the family.
After coming to Kashmir, Somaya, who had done her graduation from Muzaffarabad, did her post-graduation through distance learning.
Talking to reporters, she said that her decision to contest the election involved not only her own choice but the interest shown by the local women as well.
"My real aim is to be the voice of the women so that they become aspire to be independent."
For other women like her from Pakistan who have come to Kashmir, Somaya appealed that they should try to be independent and work towards erasing poverty in the society.
"We were brought here under the rehabilitation policy but the promises made to us were not fulfilled," she added.
The Drugmulla constituency that comprises of several areas is going for polls on December 7.
The DDC elections and panchayat bypolls are being held in eight phases from November 28 to December 19.
The counting of votes shall be conducted on December 22.
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