Kashmiri leader challenges India over Kashmir, credits Pakistan for keeping Kashmir issue alive globally
By The South Asia Times
SRINAGAR - Former Chief Minister of Indian Illegal Occupied Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah has criticized India’s policies in the disputed Himalayan region, praising Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue internationally and supporting the Kashmiri people.
“Pakistan stands with the Kashmiris at every juncture and always steps forward to come to their aid,” Abdullah was quoted as saying.
Abdullah also questioned whether the Indian government in New Delhi would deliver justice to Kashmiris, challenging its approach to the long-running dispute.
He said India could not harm Kashmiris without concern for Pakistan’s response, underscoring the regional implications of the unresolved Kashmir conflict.
Abdullah called on Kashmiris to unite to defend their rights, warning of serious consequences if they failed to stand up against what he described as India’s oppressive policies.
He also credited Pakistan with keeping the Kashmir issue alive on international platforms, arguing that Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts had helped ensure that Kashmiri concerns continued to receive global attention.
Kashmir has been at the center of a decades-long dispute between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, both of which claim the territory but control separate parts of it. The two countries have fought multiple wars and experienced repeated military confrontations over the region.
Pakistan supports the Kashmiri right to self-determination as per the UN Security Council resolutions. The dispute remains a major source of tension between the two South Asian neighbors.
In August 2019, the Indian government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status under Article 370 without consulting the region’s elected representatives, bringing it under greater federal control and dividing the former state into two federally administered territories.
In 2020, New Delhi introduced new domicile rules allowing more people from outside the region to qualify for residency rights, government jobs and other benefits. Critics, including Kashmiri political leaders and UN human rights experts, warned that changes to residency and land laws could alter the region’s demographic composition and weaken the political rights of its predominantly Muslim population.
