Arifa Begum, a woman from Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK), has been elected unopposed as the Sarpanch and Panch in Khumriyal area of north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district.
Arifa came to this side of Kashmir with her husband Ghulam Mohammad Mir, who is a surrendered militant, in 2010. Arifa is originally a resident of Palandari village in Muzaffarabad.
As per reports, Ghulam Mohammad Mir had crossed over the Line of Control (LoC) in 2001 and lived in Pakistan till 2010. Before returning home to Kashmir, Mir got married with Arifa. In 2010, Mir and his wife returned to Kashmir through Nepal.
Arifa had submitted her nomination papers for both Panch as well as Sarpanch posts in Khumriyal-B in the frontier district.
According to officials, there were no nominations against her and as such she has been declared elected unopposed for both the posts.
While speaking with a local news agency Global News Service, a government force official said Mir had ex-filtrated in 2001 for arms training and had returned in 2010 and later surrendered.
He further said that Arifa has been provided adequate security as part of the government decision of securing all the candidates contesting Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir.