As India marks seven years since the abrogation of Article 370, members of the West Pakistani refugee community in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba said August five represents a "festival of independence". They credited the constitutional changes with bringing long-awaited rights, recognition and new opportunities after decades of exclusion

India on Tuesday criticised Pakistan over the "so-called local elections" in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), calling the exercise a "complete farce". The MEA alleged that Pakistani forces responded to public protests with bullets, intimidation, blackouts, and repression