Srinagar, September 13, 2025 : National Conference (NC) president and three-time former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, expressed hope on Saturday that the Central Government will recognize the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and restore the region’s statehood.
Speaking at a golf tournament in Pahalgam, where around 50 golfers from across the country participated, Abdullah emphasized the need for Delhi to pay attention to the people’s desire for statehood.
“God willing, that will also happen one day. We are hopeful that Delhi will pay attention to it. The Prime Minister will see to it that the people of Jammu and Kashmir want statehood to be restored,” Abdullah told PTI Videos.
On being asked about controversies such as the Hazratbal shrine and Doda incidents diverting attention from core issues, he said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have faced difficulties since 1947, and this is not new.
“However, we have to come out of that… nothing is static, things move. God willing, the situation has improved here, and I am hopeful that the leadership of our country will understand this and try to further improve the situation by paying attention towards the aspirations of the people here,” he added.
He referred to the Hazratbal controversy on September 5, when a plaque bearing the Ashoka emblem was vandalized in the shrine, sparking outrage from political parties and calls for the removal of the Waqf Board Chairperson, Darakshan Andrabi.
In Doda district, tensions had also flared after AAP MLA Mehraj Malik’s arrest under the PSA, following allegations of disturbing public order. Malik is currently lodged in Kathua jail.
Farooq Abdullah also reflected on the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, and severely impacted Kashmir’s tourism industry.
“Tourism is essential for sustaining the economy of Kashmir. Be it poor or rich, everyone benefits from tourism. It remains shut for six months, so they earn for six months and sustain that in the winters,” he said.
He strongly asserted that the people of Kashmir were not behind the attack and that the entire valley stood united in condemning it.
Abdullah expressed that the golf tournament was aimed at sending a positive message to the country that Kashmir is safe and the situation is improving.
“It is our endeavour to end fear among the people of the country after the April 22 attack. It is our friends who have organized the tournament so that a message goes out across the country that the situation is good now and everyone should come here to enjoy the hospitality,” he concluded.
