Ahead of the celebrations of Accession Day in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah stoked a fresh political controversy by saying that Pakistan’s continued international advocacy of the Kashmir issue was keeping pressure on New Delhi and helping protect the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP strongly condemned Abdullah’s remarks, suggesting he should go to Pakistan and asserting that he committed treason.
BJP’s J&K unit chief Sat Sharma demanded a public apology from the former Chief Minister, and suggested that he should move to Pakistan if he continued making such statements. “The BJP will not tolerate such conduct. He should publicly apologise to the people of India. Otherwise, I would say that Pakistan would be a better place for him, and he should go and settle there,” Sharma said.
Referring to Pakistan, which he described as Jammu and Kashmir’s neighbouring country, Abdullah, while addressing party workers in Baramulla on Saturday,
said its repeated efforts to raise the Kashmir issue on international platforms had kept the dispute in the global spotlight and placed pressure on New Delhi.
“They are silent today because of global pressure, and because our neighbouring country is keeping the heat on them. Everywhere they go, they highlight that the Kashmir issue remains unresolved. That is what is saving us,” Abdullah said, while adding that he did not necessarily consider Pakistan’s intentions to be noble.
On Sunday, Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, former Union Minister, and former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said in a press statement that Pakistan has never been a friend of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Since the Partition of 1947, the people of the region have repeatedly suffered because of Pakistan’s policies, actions and continued interference. Rather than contributing to peace, prosperity and development, Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorism and militant infiltration has caused immense suffering, loss of innocent lives and prolonged instability in the region”.
Recalling the tragic events of October 1947, Azad said that Pakistan-backed tribal invaders entered Jammu and Kashmir, unleashing violence, fear and suffering among innocent people. Since then, the region has witnessed repeated conflicts, cross-border terrorism, displacement of thousands of families and the loss of countless precious lives. For decades, innocent civilians, security personnel and ordinary families have paid a heavy price for violence and instability.
Azad said that, against this historical background, the claim that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are safe because of Pakistan, or that Pakistan’s actions are motivated by genuine concern for their welfare, is not only illogical but also completely disconnected from historical facts and ground realities.
“If Pakistan genuinely cares for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, why have its actions contributed to so much bloodshed, fear, destruction and instability in the region? What has Pakistan contributed to the education, healthcare, infrastructure, employment and economic development of the people of Jammu and Kashmir?” he asked.
Azad emphasised that whatever development Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed since 1947 has largely been the result of the sustained efforts, financial assistance and contributions of successive Governments of India, irrespective of the political party in power at the Centre.
Whether it was a Congress-led Government or a BJP-led Government, the Union Government has continued to extend financial assistance, undertake major infrastructure projects and support initiatives aimed at improving the living standards of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that political differences between parties are natural in a democracy, and different Governments may have followed different policies and priorities.
However, successive Central Governments have continued to recognise the development of Jammu and Kashmir as an important national responsibility.