JAMMU & KASHMIR: In a media interaction at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah emphasized that the Kashmir issue remains unresolved and reiterated his call for the restoration of statehood. He urged the Central government to fulfill its promise of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and advocated for a renewed dialogue on Article 370.
“We have been in power for more than two months now. It took us some time to understand the functioning of a government in a Union Territory… It was easier than anticipated. However, we stand by the promises we made before the elections, which earned us the mandate to form the government,” Abdullah said.
The chief minister expressed confidence in changing the status of J&K, stating, “The Union Territory status is a temporary phase for J&K. The people participated in the assembly elections in significant numbers. The union government had assured us that statehood would be restored as soon as possible, and we expect that this promise will not be delayed further.”
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Speaking about the early months of his administration, Abdullah described the start as “decent” and remarked that the government “did not face much difficulty.” He reaffirmed his commitment to fulfilling election promises, noting that while some promises are already being implemented, others require systemic changes.
“We, the people, expect the promises made to us to be honored. The most critical promise is the restoration of statehood. Even the Supreme Court, in its judgment, indicated that statehood should be restored at the earliest. A year has passed since that judgment, and we believe that is ample time to act,” he said.
The chief minister also highlighted the importance of respecting the sentiments and aspirations of the people of J&K. Clarifying the purpose of the event, Abdullah stated, “This is not a press conference but an interaction. There are no big announcements today, as speculated on social media. We aim to maintain this kind of open dialogue with the media at least twice a year.”
