Ladakh achieved in 7 years what JK could not in 70: PDP's Waheed Para

The Centre has offered constitutional safeguards to Ladakh under Article 371, a move activists say could serve as a model for Jammu and Kashmir's own autonomy demands.

The people of Ladakh have achieved in seven years what Jammu and Kashmir could not do in 70 years, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Para said on Sunday, a day after the Centre made an offer of constitutional safeguards to Ladakh.

There is a lesson in it for Jammu and Kashmir, Para said in a post on X.

The Centre has made an offer for constitutional safeguards under Article 371, instead of the Sixth Schedule, and a legislative body for Ladakh, activists from the region said on Saturday, while stressing that discussions were still underway and no final agreement had been reached.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk said the government had proposed safeguards for Ladakh on the lines of Articles 371A and 371G and agreed in principle to a governance structure for the entire region rather than limiting powers to district councils.

''What Ladakh achieved in 7 years, we failed to achieve in 70. A population of barely 3 lakh persuaded the Government of India, J&K couldn't. There's a lesson for Jammu & Kashmir,'' Para said.

Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) member Sajjad Kargili told PTI on Saturday that the Centre had also proposed legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers for Ladakh and had been asked to share a formal draft for consultations with legal and constitutional experts.