A woman from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and married to a former militant is contesting District Development Council Elections from Dragmulla Block of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Sumiya Sadaf, a resident of Muzaffarabad, Pakistan occupied Kashmir, said that she arrived in Kashmir ten years ago after marrying a local militant from Batargam Kupwara village who had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) for arms training and returned back home under rehabilitation policy of the government.
"I came in 2010 after the government's rehabilitation policy. Since then I am here. We came on the message of peace and we want peace in the country. Development is important and I want to work on it,” she said.
Sadaf is not the first woman from PoK who has jumped into the fray. In 2018, two women from Pakistan administered Kashmir, Arifa and Dilshada married to former militants had won panchayat posts in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
The election symbol of Sadaf is 'Laptop'. There are 12 candidates in the fray while Sadaf in the only woman contesting from the said block.
"It is difficult for the government to provide jobs to everyone. If I win, I would persuade and motivate people to become self-employed. Everyone has the ability to be an entrepreneur and here we can focus on this subject and people, particularly women can start their own ventures,” she added.
Sadaf wishes that there should be peace and prosperity in both parts of Kashmir. "The Kashmir in Pakistan is my birthplace and Indian Kashmir is the place of my husband. I love both parts and wish peace and development either side," she said.
