Former CM says Pakistan has brought only terror and instability to J&K; complaint filed at Channi police station
JAMMU: Veteran politician and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday launched a sharp attack on National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, rejecting his claim that Pakistan is “protecting” the people of Jammu and Kashmir and reminding him of what Pakistan has actually delivered to the region.
The row over Abdullah’s remarks at a party workers’ convention in Baramulla on October 24 shows no sign of dying down. Panun Kashmir and the Jammu State People’s Movement (JSPM) have meanwhile approached the police seeking an FIR against him.
“Pakistan never a friend of J&K”
Reacting to the statement, Azad said Pakistan had never been a friend of the people of J&K.
“Since the Partition in 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, the loss of innocent lives and prolonged instability in the region,” he said.
Recalling October 1947, when Pakistan-backed tribal invaders entered J&K, Azad said the raiders unleashed violence and fear among innocent people. “Since then, the region has witnessed repeated conflicts, cross-border terrorism, the displacement of thousands of families and the loss of countless precious lives,” he said. Civilians, security personnel and ordinary families, he added, had paid a heavy price for decades.
Against this backdrop, Azad said, the claim that J&K’s people were safe because of Pakistan, or that Pakistan acted out of genuine concern for their welfare, was illogical and 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.
Development credited to India
Azad said the progress J&K had seen since 1947 was largely the result of sustained effort and financial assistance from successive Indian governments, regardless of the 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.
While political differences were natural in a democracy, he said, successive Central governments had treated J&K’s development as an important national responsibility. The region had made substantial gains in education, healthcare, road connectivity, power generation, irrigation, agriculture, horticulture, tourism and public infrastructure, with enormous public resources invested in schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and medical and engineering institutions.
Pointing to recent infrastructure projects, Azad said thousands of crores of rupees had gone into tunnels, four-lane highways, railway networks and hydroelectric projects. “Projects such as the Chenani–Nashri Tunnel, the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link, major highway corridors and several ongoing road, tunnel and power projects demonstrate the continued commitment of the Government of India to improving connectivity and accelerating economic development in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“Books, not guns”
Azad said the younger generation deserved quality education, modern healthcare, jobs, sports facilities and technological advancement, and an environment where they could pursue their ambitions without fear.
“Our young people should be carrying books, computers and tools of progress, not living under the shadow of guns, terrorism and drugs. They deserve opportunities to become doctors, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, sportspersons and responsible citizens who can contribute to the development of Jammu and Kashmir and the country,” he said.
Panun Kashmir, JSPM seek FIR
In a separate development, Panun Kashmir and JSPM lodged a complaint at Channi Police Station in Jammu seeking registration of an FIR against Abdullah over his reported remarks in Baramulla.
The complaint was submitted by Tito Ganju, Chairman of Panun Kashmir, and Col. Ajay Raina, Chairman of JSPM. It seeks a police investigation into statements attributed to Abdullah on Pakistan, J&K’s constitutional status, religious polarisation and communal harmony.
The complainants invoked Sections 152, 196 and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and asked that the remarks be examined under these provisions. They also urged the police to preserve and examine the original, unedited video of the speech and other relevant electronic records before acting in accordance with law.
Speaking at the convention on Saturday, Farooq had said: “It is only because of neighbouring Pakistan that the lives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being saved.” He argued that Pakistan was shielding the people by repeatedly raising the Kashmir issue at international forums.
