As the country marks the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on Wednesday, members of the West Pakistani refugee community in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba described the occasion as their "festival of independence", saying the constitutional changes paved the way for them to receive equal rights and long-awaited recognition.

Article 370 was abrogated on August 5, 2019, after the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir through a Presidential Order, ending the constitutional provisions that had granted it special autonomy.