As a broadcast journalist, Ashraf Wani is a household name in the Kashmir Valley. With over 25 years of rewarding experience in the field of journalism, reporting, and broadcasting, Ashraf Wani has reported the various facets of the Kashmir conflict, culture, socio-political landscape from every nook and cranny of the region. Besides this, as a widely traveled journalist, Wani has reported from the war-torn Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. He began his career in the mid-1990s as a news reader at the All India Radio (AIR) and joined TV Today Network Limited three years later, in 1998. Presently, he works as Bureau Chief, Jammu and Kashmir, for India Today Group. @ashraf_wani , Ashraf Wani
“At the time of independence, when Pakistan was carved out of India, Raja Harisingh, then King of Jammu and Kashmir, decided not to merge with either of the nations but to remain independent. But Pakistan was in a bid to get Kashmir by hook or crook. So Pakistan attacked Kashmir. Considering the critical situation, Raja Harisingh took the help of India to defeat Pakistan and merged Kashmir with India. He just wanted some special provision for Kashmiris' and their diverse culture. That's how then Article 370 and Article 35A was imprinted in the constitution. Mohammad Abdulla was offered for the amalgamation of Kashmir with Pakistan, but he considers India a better option to be part of.”