Gulmarg, June 24: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he would not mind recommending the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly if statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir.
“The statehood is not for any MLA or the government. This statehood is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and MLAs will not be an obstacle. If the statehood is granted, we will not stand in the way. In fact, I will ask the Governor to dissolve the Assembly the very next day,” he told reporters
Putting up a brave face, he said if the MLAs are being threatened with the dissolution of the Assembly for the restoration of statehood, then do it. “The day the state is established again, the next day we will go to the governor and recommend the dissolution of the Assembly,” he said
Urging the central government to avoid misleading narratives, Omar said, “Don’t attempt to intimidate us with scripted stories. Statehood is our right and not a bargaining chip.”
On NIA’s arrests in the Pahalgam attack, Omar dismissed the allegations of voluntary involvement by locals. “There was no local involvement in the Pahalgam attack. Those arrested were forced to help the terrorists under duress.”
The NIA had earlier arrested two residents of Pahalgam — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar — for allegedly sheltering three heavily armed terrorists in a seasonal hut in Hill Park ahead of the attack. The agency claimed the duo provided logistical support, food, and shelter to the attackers and even revealed their identities during questioning.
The terrorists, believed to be Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), carried out the brutal attack that shook the region and left over two dozen people dead.
Omar appealed for nuance and fairness in such cases, urging the central probe agency not to draw sweeping conclusions. “These men are from our villages. If they helped the attackers, it was not of their own will. Coercion in such situations cannot be ruled out,” he said.
He warned against narratives that portray entire communities as complicit. “We must not allow the actions of a few foreign terrorists to paint our people as collaborators,” he added.
The arrested individuals have been remanded to five days of NIA custody by a local court in Jammu for further interrogation.