Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated he would not leverage the deaths of 26 people in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22nd to demand statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.
During a special session of the J&K legislative assembly, Abdullah rejected the notion that he would exploit such a tragedy for political gain. He emphasized that while he supports statehood, he deemed it inappropriate to demand it while the nation mourned.
“I will not use this moment to demand statehood. After Pahalgam, with what face can I ask for statehood for Jammu and Kashmir? Is my politics so cheap? We have talked about statehood in the past and will do so in the future too, but it would be shameful to tell the central government that 26 people have died; now give me statehood,” Abdullah said.
An emotional Abdullah expressed his deep sorrow and difficulty in apologizing to the victims’ families. “I did not know how to apologize to the families of the deceased… As the host, it was my duty to ensure the tourists returned safely. I couldn’t do it. I do not have the words to seek an apology… What should I say to those children who lost their father and to a wife who lost her husband, who got married a few days back? They asked what was our fault; we just came for the holidays… Whoever did this says they did it for us, but I want to ask: Did we approve it? Did we tell them to do this? We are not in support of this attack,” he stated.
Abdullah found hope in the public condemnation of the attack by the people of Kashmir. “In every bad situation, we should look for a ray of hope, but it’s very difficult to find such a light in these times… But for the first time in 26 years, I have seen the people of Jammu and Kashmir coming out condemning the attack, saying that it was not done in my name… Violence and terrorism can only end when we are all united… We should not take any such step which pushes people away… no remark, no action of any kind,” he said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution condemning the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequently adjourned sine die.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary introduced the resolution, which also endorsed the Union Government’s diplomatic measures following the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting.
The resolution characterized the attack as an assault on “Kashmiriyat,” the Constitution, and the region’s unity and peace, and expressed solidarity with the victims.
The Pahalgam attack is among the deadliest in the region since the 2019 Pulwama attack. India has responded with strong measures against Pakistan, citing its support for cross-border terrorism.
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