India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to make his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after his government stripped the tense disputed region’s autonomy and divided it into two federally run territories.
Officials from Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party said he will visit Jammu city on April 24, where he will meet representatives of local elected bodies and lay foundations for various developmental projects.
“He is going to interact with peoples’ representatives like panchayat [village council] and district development members,” Girdhari Lal Raina, a BJP representative in the region, told The National.
“The final programme has not been declared yet but the visit is confirmed."
The official trip will be Mr Modi’s first to the region after his government revoked the erstwhile state’s autonomy and carved out separate union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019.
The move sparked a diplomatic tussle between India and Pakistan, who rule the territory in parts but claim it in its entirety.
The region, particularly the Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley, is in the grip of a more than three-decade-old rebellion against New Delhi’s rule in which tens of thousands of people have been killed.
India claims Kashmir as an “integral” part, while Pakistan demands that a plebiscite be held as per United Nations Security Council resolutions.
New Delhi had granted special constitutional guarantees to the state after the local king acceded to India in 1947, on the condition that the region would retain some degree of autonomy, including barring non-locals from acquiring immovable properties in the region.
But after Mr Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist BJP won a second term in office in 2019, it unilaterally and controversially struck down the special status and said the decision was the correction of a “historical blunder”.
The government's move has been challenged in the Supreme Court but a hearing into the case has yet to begin.
New Delhi also dissolved the local assembly and appointed an administrator to run the restive region with an iron-hand policy against “anti-India” elements.
Mr Modi’s government has promised to hold local elections in the region, however, it ordered the redrawing of legislative boundaries that critics say is aimed at handing an advantage to the BJP.
No dates have been finalised for elections in the territories.
The government has assured that the status of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be restored at an opportune time.
But Ladakh — an area of rugged Himalayan desert bordering China, will remain under the direct control of New Delhi.
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
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Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
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Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
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Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
